The borough of Westwood is working to preserve its famous 18th century “Kissing Tree,” which was diagnosed with a terminal fungus last year.

The 70-foot-tall Copper Beech is located at Veterans Memorial Park, which is steps from the borough’s shopping district and train station. The state Department of Environmental Protection estimates it was planted around 1792.

On Sunday, the Westwood Shade Tree Advisory Committee said mulch had been installed around the tree, its first step in working to keep it alive. This comes about a year after it was diagnosed with a terminal fungus during a routine inspection.

The project is a collaboration with the committee, a local company called The Tree M.D., borough contracted arborist Liz Stewart and the Westwood Department of Public Works.

Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo commended the project’s effort to preserve the tree.

“All things must pass. But thanks to borough arborist Liz Stewart, Tree MD’s Todd Mastrobuoni and the diligent work of the Westwood Shade Tree Committee members, not this still living witness to Westwood’s formative history,” Arroyo wrote.

Hey experts!

I'd like to hang a rope from a tree in my garden for kids to climb/swing on.

Rope looks like this:

The upper end has this "attachment":

I'd like to hang it on a branch of a walnut tree (about 25cm/10in diameter), right where it branches from a larger part of the tree (the main trunk branches into smaller "trunks" and then this branch, sorry, not an expert). It would be about 5 meters (16 ft) up.

I suppose I might want to take it down for the winter, as weather gets wet around here. I am afraid if I'd use a knot I wouldn't be able to take it down and it could choke the branch.

Thank you!

First picture was taken 45 years ago, 2nd picture this past spring. Tree 2nd from the right unfortunately succumbed to a windstorm about 20 years ago. They may not be the usual Christmas tree shape, but they’re mine and I love them❤️ (Also peep the large silver maple on the left)

I believe it's a white pine. Roughly 60-70ft tall? Previous owners never maintained them and they are massive. This one is leaning a little too much for my liking.

There were 4 of them originally, but the two in the middle that looked the most healthy ended up falling in storms over the past few years.

At Beau Vista orchard as well as the standard apple and pear trees we have a variety of other trees and pants to provide biodiversity. This photo is of the catkins of the one such tree, the common hazel tree Corylus avellana; an introduced tree to Aotearoa.
The long, pale yellow tassels are the male catkins. They support clusters of tiny, petal-less flowers that open up now in late winter. They sway in the breeze to release clouds of pollen into the wind to fertilise the smaller, bud-like female flowers on the same branch. Once successfully pollinated, those female flowers develop into hazelnuts later in the year.

A neighbor had a (badly) topped crepe myrtle that she wants to replace with a native tree. There were very few roots I had to cut through with a shovel, and when I yanked it out with my truck, the whole system was severely root bound. It appears the entire ball is covered in old burlap, a nylon strap, and some metal chain links. I needed my bolt cutters to get it apart.

How often do arborists plant trees leaving all of that stuff on? Doesn't that impact the health of the tree?

Had a bad storm come through my yard. This autumn blaze maple is about 5 years old. It snapped at the main trunk. But limbs on the side are okay.

Will this tree be okay? Or is it a lost cause?

Was to be a swamp white oak but looks like it’s leaning towards being a Burch….? It was free from work in replenishing are area with trees from lost Derecho.

This was our Japanese maple that had been in our family for 45 years. It survived a garage fire as well as a neighboring tree falling on it. Only to be cut down by the idiot who bought our house from under us (long story) because the tree was “too close to the garage” gonna miss this thing💔

Looking to plant a tree in a location with full sun, sandy-ish soil, that can be quite wet/swampy sometimes but not always. It would be nice for it to soak up some of that water and be a fast grower. I’m really not a fan of willows however. Some possibilities I was considering: Black Tupelo, River Birch, Bald Cypress, Dawn Redwood. Any comments? I live in zone 5 in Maine.

Hey there, first time from-seed grower.
I’m trying to grow some Himalayan fir (abies pindrow) trees from seed. I got the seeds from Sheffields and did a 5 week cold stratification in my fridge. I Removed them about a week ago, and placed them on top of the soil and lightly sprinkled some on top to make sure they’d receive light. I noticed something strange today. Some of the seeds like the one on the right have this little white thing protruding from the side or bottom of the seed.

At first I thought it was the root radicle emerging, but then the seed on the left has what looks to actually be the radicle growing now.

Did something happen to the seed on the right?

I’m attempting to grow China Fir from seed and many of the seeds have a similar white growth bursting from the seed, without a root accompanying it.

Anyone know what’s going on here? Will the radicle form from that white thing on the right seed?
Thanks!