Centuries-old Comfort maple endures
Estimates put it at 500 years old, perhaps a mere sapling when Columbus landed on the continent
There’s a slight mist in the air, lending a tranquil almost mystical feel to the Comfort maple in Pelham.
This sugar maple tree has been here long before Canada became a country.
Some estimate that it is over 500 years old, perhaps a mere sapling around the time that Christopher Columbus discovered America.
Somehow it has endured, even surviving a lightning strike that caused serious damage and splitting its trunk according to Michel Germain from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.
Germain, a superintendent, central workshop, has taken care of the tree ever since he started with the NPCA 27 years ago.
Every two weeks he comes by to check on the tree nicknamed ”Old Glory.”
Standing at about 24 metres in height it has a crown of 30 metres, and its trunk is over 6 metres in circumference.
“This is part of our maintenance program to check the tree and see if there are any unforeseen problems or new problems with the tree,” said Germain.
“It’s over 500 years old, it is becoming very old, past its maturity.”
“So we look at some of the signs, like bugs on the tree leaves that have been eaten, how many leaves there are and any dead branches.“ “If there’s a problem I’ve gone up in the tree and taken care of it. If it’s a job too big for me we hire a company.”
He explains that in the early 60s the tree suffered a lightning strike, which “cooks” part of the tree.
“Once it’s cooked it starts to rot,” as he points to the middle section that has concrete repair.
“They did cavity work to take out the old rotten wood and replace it with concrete to give it structure.”
“We redid that work in 1994,” added Germain.
He points to a raccoon climbing one of the thick branches.
“It’s been living in one of the holes, which isn’t really hurting the tree and provides a natural habitat.”
Steel wires help support some of the lower hanging branches as a precautionary measure.
“It could last another year it could last another hundred years,” says Germain.
“We use inground fertilizer every two years, it helps to promote the root growth, and we do the proper maintenance on it.”
“Another thing that helps is the soil in this area is very good for growing trees; we have sandy loam in Fonthill.”
“It’s probably one of the best growing soils in Ontario, and there are not thousands of people visiting that would create compaction of the soil.”
Germain said the last summer was very hard on this tree and all trees.
“We’ll water it every three weeks.”
“We are losing branches but the mere fact that this thing is alive and hanging in there is remarkable.”
The tree sits proudly as part of the Town of Pelham coat of arms and will feature in the Canada 150 mosaic that is to be unveiled July 1.
“When people find out about this tree from newspaper articles or research, people find out it’s called the Comfort maple named after the Comfort family who owned the land from 1816,” said Germain.
The tree and lands surrounding it were donated by Edna Eleanor Comfort in 1961 for 999 years, or the life of the tree.
Germain said that people often come and have pictures taken trying to circle the tree with their hands.
Interest has also been international with a film crew from France documenting the (sugar maple) Acer saccharum.
“If you come in the fall time, it’s the best time, when it’s turning colour.”
“And because it’s a sugar maple it’s the sugar that gives that bright foliage oranges yellows and reds, the colour is quite spectacular,” said Germain.
Germain relishes the work on the tree, he cleans up a fallen branch, straightens up a post on the property. He slowly walks the perimeter looking for any bad signs.
“We’re hoping it will last for at least another 50 years. It will be a sad day when it comes down.”
“I do not want this tree dying on my watch.”