Gaines,
There are a number of us who also love Norway spruce and routinely measure them. It is a great species - unlike Norway maple. Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: "spruce" <[email protected]> To: "ENTSTrees" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 3, 2010 4:14:05 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [ENTS] Honorary native tree--a possibility?: Norway spruce Tree lovers: Forgive me if I am treading on forbidden territory, but I am a lover of Norway spruce. These trees can grow very tall. In Europe they are reported to grow as much as 215 feet. Dr. John Genys, Professor Emeritus, U of MD, with whom whom I have had some good discussions about Norway spruce, is a native of Lithuania, and has had a long standing interest in Norway spruce. He sees no reason why they should not grow as tall here, in favorable spots and with the right genetic strain, as in Europe. Norway spruce is naturalized in a wide area of the northeast and northern midwest. It reproduces itself, but not in a way as to be a problematic invasive exotic. Could there be any interest in including this species in some way in the ENTS measurement/recording activities? I know of two areas where some very tall Norway spruce trees grow-- as a rough estimate, maybe up to 140 feet, or a bit more in one case. Of course these trees were not much planted until the CCC plantings in the '30s, although one stand, The "Rothkugel," near Bartow in WV, was planted in 1907. A few were planted during colonial times, but I don't know of any surviving from that time. The oldest I know of where probably planted around 1835. If anyone knows of any older plantings I would be interested. Anyway, since there are few if any plantings much older than 100 years, the full potential of these trees is not yet realized on this side of the Atlantic. They are, contrary to some reports, long lived, pretty much matching the longevity of white pine. --Gaines McMartin -- Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -- Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected]
