Lincoln’s catalpa tree gets some preventive maintenance

By Cathy Moritz

Workers attach cabling to branches of Lincoln’s twisted catalpa tree to help protect them from breakage.

The beloved twisted tree in front of the Lincoln Public Library is estimated to be 110 to 120 years old — at least 50 years older than a typical Northern Catalpa. In a joint project, the Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) and the Lincoln Garden Club (LGC) have funded a preservation project that could extend the life of the tree another 20 to 30 years.

With the expert advice of the Arnold Arboretum’s Sean Halloran and professional arborist Jonathan Bransfield, along with the approval of library trustees and town officials, the Lincoln Catalpa Committee planned an extensive preservation project. On December 11, a crew from Bransfield Tree Co. spent over four hours in two tall bucket trucks to perform the preservation work, which included cabling the upper limbs to help them withstand wind and snow, pruning unstable or dead wood from the canopy, and fertilizing and installing a protective mulch ring around the trunk. A videographer filmed the project and interviewed the crew, and Bransfield promised that a finished video will eventually be available to all.

A fresh layer of mulch covers the ground beneath the tree.

The Committee was organized last spring to promote the preservation of the tree and coordinate a project to propagate clones of it. Members hope that at least one of the clones will twist as dramatically as the parent tree so that the tradition of a twisted tree at the library can continue. The committee includes Cathy Moritz, FOLL and LGC board member; Peter Sugar, library trustee; Bobbie Myles, library director; LGC members Cynthia Ferris and Eileen McCrory, and past FOLL president and LGC board member Daniela Caride. Questions about the group’s work can be directed to coordinator Cathy Moritz at cathymoritz@gmail.com.

In a public presentation sponsored by the LGC, Halloran, head of woody plant propagation at the Arnold Arboretum, gave a talk on the twisted tree, the cloning project, twisting trees in general, and tree planting tips. Interested Lincolnites who missed the presentation on November 1 can view it here.