Washington-era black walnut at River Farm getting ready to leaf out
“I have made up my mind and am making my arrangements to take up my residence at the Walnut–tree farm this fall,” wrote Tobias Lear to George Washington on September 8th 1797. Lear was Washington’s personal secretary and the residence he was referring to was a home on part of George Washington’s River Farm. It still exists today and is the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society (AHS). There is a single black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) from the Washington-era remaining on the property. It represents those that defined the landscape for Lear and contributed to the name of the farm.
One of the Nation’s largest Osage orange trees at River Farm in Alexandria, VA
The black walnut isn’t the only historic tree on the property. There is an Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera) that holds court over the Garden Calm area adjacent to the house. It is estimated to be at least 200 years old as well. It is 58 feet tall, its crown spreads 90 feet and it has a massive trunk. It was named National Champion in 2011 over the long time title holder at Patrick Henry’s Red Hill in Charlotte County, Virginia. While the title has gone back to Red Hill in recent years, River Farm’s Osage orange continues in good health and scores a mere 3 points below it’s rival.
The long arms of River Farm’s Bur Oak
On the opposite side of the meadow from the black walnut, stands a bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) with its impressive spreading branches. Nearby are several examples of the Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus), descendants of a species that George Washington introduced to Virginia. There is also a showy handkerchief or dove tree (Davidia involucrata) in the garden closer to the house. These are just a few of the amazing trees under the stewardship of the AHS at River Farm. The recent loss of a Washington-era Canadian hemlock on the nearby Mount Vernon estate reminds us that these trees have been a living witness to our local history and are irreplaceable. That is why the AHS has made caring for the historic trees on their grounds the focus of their participation in Alexandria’s Spring2Action giving day on April 25, 2018. Please help support the ongoing care and maintenance of the American Horticultural Society’s important and historic trees at River Farm by donating today. Then visit River Farm, and see these beauties for yourself.
Impressive Trunk of the Osage orange tree in River Farm’s Garden Calm, Alexandria, VA
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