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Click here to find out how to purchase folded pocket maps, print free tree walks, or download free expanded content tree walks to your smartphone!

New England’s first citywide arboretum currently features trees tagged across the city, self-guided [...]]]> The Newport Arboretum is a new initiative of The Newport Tree Society designed to raise awareness regarding Newport’s renowned urban forest – including its fascinating history, its specimen trees in peril, and what Newporters are doing to plan and plant for the future.

New England’s first citywide arboretum currently features trees tagged across the city, self-guided tree walks, and citizen planting programs. Visit  newportrboretum.org to learn more.

]]> http://www.newporttreesociety.org/home/2011/the-newport-arboretum/feed/ 0 http://www.newporttreesociety.org/home/2010/special-announcement-the-newport-arboretum/ http://www.newporttreesociety.org/home/2010/special-announcement-the-newport-arboretum/#comments Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:55:16 +0000 admin http://www.newporttreesociety.org/home/?p=931 Our fall fundraiser, Saplings & Spirits, was a smashing success this past Thursday, October 28th.  Those of you who attended heard our exciting announcement:  The Newport Tree Society is proud to announce the upcoming launch of The Newport Arboretum, New England’s first citywide arboretum. Stay tuned for more news as we continue preparations for the launch [...]]]> Our fall fundraiser, Saplings & Spirits, was a smashing success this past Thursday, October 28th.  Those of you who attended heard our exciting announcement:  The Newport Tree Society is proud to announce the upcoming launch of The Newport Arboretum, New England’s first citywide arboretum. Stay tuned for more news as we continue preparations for the launch of The Newport Arboretum in Spring 2011. We are working to complete our Tree Walks Series and establish our online citywide interactive Tree Survey. Click the image below to see an overview of the first phase of The Newport Arboretum:

To witness an example of the damage that can result when trees suffer an inappropriate grade change, drive past the field of red maples on the west side of Aquidneck Avenue just south of Green End Avenue…

Trunk buried well above [...]]]>

Red Maples on Aquidneck Ave., suffering from a drastic grade change and soil compaction.

To witness an example of the damage that can result when trees suffer an inappropriate grade change, drive past the field of red maples on the west side of Aquidneck Avenue just south of Green End Avenue…

Trunk buried well above the flare.

Here, water pools around the base of a tree. The grade has been raised around it, with a pit left around the tree trunk, causing sitting water.

Earth has been piled up around the trunks of these trees – in areas, it appears to be possibly two feet or more above normal grade, a drastic change.  The result of this recent trauma is already evident – their beautiful crimson fall display ended far too quickly as their leaves dropped earlier than that of other healthy red maples on the island.  (The injured trees also include a group of Zelkova planted by the Town of Middletown.)

The red maple, acer rubrum, is a native tree and the State Tree of Rhode Island.  Known for its brilliant deep scarlet autumn foliage, it is an important part of Aquidneck Island’s fall landscape.  With a shallow root system, the red maple is sensitive to soil compaction and grade change.  

Protect the root system up to and beyond the dripline.

While we’re referencing an extreme example, grade-related issues are much more common than you might think: often resulting in the death of a tree, this problem can occur during new tree planting, construction work…and even as a result of overmulching around a tree trunk.

As a general rule of thumb, to keep your trees healthy do not trench, cover up or compact the soil in the tree’s root zone (which extends up to 30 feet or more beyond the outer border of the tree’s canopy, called the ‘dripline’).

Asian Longhorned Beetle