May 29, 2008 issue
Weeping Willow at Two Rivers Is State Champion Tree
Story by Anna Oakes
Watauga County has a new state champion in its midst, but this one doesn’t have arms, legs, eyes or ears. The latest titleholder in the county is a weeping willow tree that has been named a North Carolina Champion Big Tree.
The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources recently certified the tree, located at Two Rivers Community School on Archie Carroll Road in Boone, as a Champion Big Tree. Since the 1970s, the North Carolina Champion Big Tree Program has recognized and celebrated the state’s largest trees. The weeping willow is the largest of its species in the state—that the Division of Forest Resources knows of, that is.
“This is the very first state champion for a weeping willow tree—no one has nominated a weeping willow before,” said Susan Owen, parent of a Two Rivers student and volunteer bus driver at the school.
When a rumor went around school that the gravel road adjacent to the willow tree would be paved, a fifth-grader circulated a petition to save the tree, Owens said. Although Owens is uncertain of the validity of the rumor, it piqued her interest in the tree.
“That tree is not just fabulous—it is tremendous,” she said. “[I thought], let’s see if it’ll qualify.”
Watauga County Forest Ranger Rudy Johnson measured the tree and submitted the nomination to the Champion Big Tree program. A Champion Big Tree is determined using a point system; to determine the tree’s total point value, officials add the tree’s circumference to the tree’s height plus one-quarter of the average crown spread. The weeping willow at Two Rivers has a circumference of 141 inches, a height of 60 feet and an average crown spread of 71 feet for a total point value of 219.
The certificate from the Division of Forest Resources states, “Every effort should be made to preserve and protect this important tree for the enjoyment of this generation and those that follow.”
Two Rivers teachers have discussed putting picnic tables and an outdoor classroom under the tree.
“The kids love it,” Owens said.
Two other trees in Watauga County have qualified as Champion Big Trees. A pitch pine at Green Valley Community Park has a total point value of 183, and a sugar maple in Boone has a point value of 290.
Shelton Wilder, an art teacher at Watauga High School, founded a community project called Heritage Trees of Watauga County. He invites people to share photos, stories, artwork and memories of trees in the area. He also features several photos of the champion pitch pine and weeping willow trees. The website is heritagetrees.blogspot.com.
The Division of Forest Resources has a list of eligible species for nominations. According to the National Registry Guidelines, hybrids and minor varieties are not eligible for champion status. To view the list of Champion Trees or learn more about the nomination guidelines, click to www.dfr.state.nc.us/urban/big_tree_intro.htm.
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