Red oak has made shade for generations
With a main trunk of 1.8 metres, this giant has filled many bags of leaves over autumns past
Tree of the Week is a new weekly feature that will showcase some of the biggest and most beautiful trees in the GTA, compiled by Megan Ogilvie. Julie Hagan of Scarborough starts us off.
This is the wonderful northern red oak tree on our street, Avalon Blvd., in Scarborough.
One of our neighbours is 95 years old and has lived in her house all her life. She remembers the tree as always being big. I would guess that puts the age of the tree to at least150 years old, but it may be much older.
The main trunk is 1.8 metres in diameter before it splits into three smaller trunks, the largest of which measures 94 centimetres in diameter.
My daughters, Meredith and Elizabeth, both recall the fun they had as children climbing up in to the middle of the tree where the trunk splits, something that other neighbourhood children continue to do.
In addition to its beauty, the shade from its many leaves and branches protect our lawns from the summer sun and help cool our houses. I do remind myself of that when the acorns fall in the autumn and squirrels dig up the lawn to hide them.
As for the leaves, it would be interesting to know how many combined hours of raking we have all put in over the years. I’ve been here for 30 autumns, one neighbour for more than 90, and many others (the wind carries leaves up and down the street) for more than 15 years. Imagine how many bags have been filled with leaves! The Star wants to hear about the most significant trees in your neighbourhood. Send an email to mogilvie@thestar.ca with a photo of your tree and the following information: Tree type (species), trunk circumference (measured at chest height), location of the tree and a short explanation for why this tree deserves recognition. We may share your submission with readers in the Star and on thestar.com.