Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, we discussed how disease and insects are impacting stands of trees. Among them, the emerald ash borer has devastated native ash trees, which comprise roughly ten percent of the forests here in Northern New Jersey. Some specimen trees remain thanks to trunk injections. While chatting with my “birder buddy,” Dennis Briede of Blairstown, he mentioned the Wolfe Tree in Mount Olive, NJ, and shared a story he wrote about the treasured tree. Bits of which I look forward to sharing with you.
Dennis Briede’s meadow is featured in Antics of Meadow Wildlife.
Dennis Briede’s Story about the Wolfe Tree:
When one thinks of giant trees, the ones that first come to mind are the mighty redwood trees or the giant sequoias, but New Jersey has some colossal trees.
In 1978, I noticed a very large tree in a field off Route 46 in Mount Olive. I had to investigate, and it turned out to be a huge white ash tree. Years later, I started working as the Stewardship Manager at the Land Conservancy of New Jersey, which had purchased the property on which the giant ash tree stood.
I called Joe Bennett, the regional NJ state forester, and met him at the tree. We measured it almost 21 feet around the trunk, 4.5 feet above the ground (the official measuring height). It stands 76 feet tall, with a crown spread of 99 feet! This monster is only 6 inches shy of the record-holding white ash tree in New Jersey. Most amazing is that the Wolfe Tree is about 400 years old!
I adore how Dennis gives context to what 400 years means.
The Wolfe Tree. Photo by Dennis Briede, Stewardship Manager at the Land Conservancy of New Jersey.
The history of this tree goes back to about 1624, before New Jersey was a state. This tree began growing when only the native Lenni Lenape lived there. The birth of this tree goes back before the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Jersey, which was established in 1630 at Bergen Square, now known as Jersey City. The birth of this tree goes back 71 years before the first European settlement in the area, known as Morris County. This tree’s birth goes back before the flagship of the Massachusetts Bay Company arrived in Salem. Before Galileo published his final book on physics. Back when Rembrandt was 18 years old.
Joe entered the Wolfe Tree’s statistics, photographs, and location into the New Jersey Big and Heritage Tree Registry, which has been kept since the 1930s. The Wolfe Tree is now classified as a Signature Tree, distinguished by its unique features and aesthetic appeal. Trees of this size are rare and should be maintained and protected, as they are mega resources performing 600 times the environmental benefits of your average tree.
As a labor of love, Brian O’Neill of Weeds Inc. (located in Bethlehem, PA) has been inoculating the Wolfe Tree for several years to protect it from the emerald ash borer. Hopefully, it will continue to live and be enjoyed long into the future.
The next time you drive east on Route 46 in Mount Olive between Naughright Road and Wolfe Road, look to the right at the edge of the field and gaze at this natural wonder, in the northern section of our South Branch Preserve.
Embracing the Beauty of the Natural World
Bouncing Baby White Ash Trees
Thank you for sharing the story, Dennis. I want to visit the tree and hug it. Not that I could get my arms around such a giant! But we can all put our arms around the beauty of our natural world.
Yes, there are declining native trees, and we continue to do things that disrupt the balance of life, which is disturbing. However, we can help turn things around if we do our part by being kind and generous, caring for both the natural world around us and one another.
While walking Jolee in the woods this morning for first call, I came across a cluster of bouncing baby white ash on the forest floor. It lifted my heart.
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Enjoy more of the story on the Garden Dilemmas Podcast:
Related Posts and Podcasts:
Hope Beyond Declining Native Trees also featured in Episode 210 of the Podcast.
Woodcock Dance – Making a Meadow – Blog Post / Episode 101 of the Podcast
Antics of Meadow Wildlife- Blog Post / Episode 100 of the Podcast
