In honor of America’s 250th birthday, the Townsend River Walk and Arboretum (TRWA) volunteers added two trees to the arboretum, a Shagbark Hickory and Yellowwood. These trees were purchased from the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants bringing a part of Thomas Jefferson's legacy to the TRWA. The addition of these trees brings the total number of TRWA Arboretum trees to 55!
Shagbark Hickory Planted at the TRWA in Honor of America 250
Yellowwood Tree Planted at the TRWA to Celebrate America 250
Shagbark Hickory (TRWA Arboretum Tree Id 48), Carya ovata, is a deciduous, hardwood tree, with unusual shaggy, peeling bark. The bark provides nesting habitat for bats, and serves as a host plant for Luna moths and the Banded hairstreak butterfly. Leaves are pinnately compound turning a stunning deep yellow to golden brown in fall. The Shagbark produces sweet, edible nuts consumed by wildlife and used as a food source for Native Americans and early settlers. Wood from the Shagbark was used to cure meats, make syrup, make strong tool handles and furniture.
Thomas Jefferson often used Shagbark Hickory (he would call them scaly Bark Hickory) in his land deeds as boundary markers.
Yellowwood (TRWA Arboretum Tree Id 52), Cladrastis kentukea, is a deciduous, native hardwood tree with clusters of fragrant white spring flowers, with pinnately compound leaves and smooth, gray bark. In fall, leaves turn yellow, gold, and orange. The common name, yellowwood, is descriptive of the color of the wood when the tree is freshly cut. The yellowwood was discovered by botanist and plant explorer André Michaux in 1796 while while exploring the Cumberland River region in what is now Jackson County, Tennessee.
In 1822, botanist Constantine S. Rafinesque sent seeds of the Yellowwood to Thomas Jefferson. Writing from his home at Monticello, Jefferson thanked Rafinesque for the seeds, stating “too old to plant trees for my own gratification, I shall do it for my posterity…"
Thomas Jefferson is considered the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and is credited with writing perhaps the most aspirational and guiding principle of our country: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Declaration of Independence. In Congress, July 4, 1776
The Shagbark Hickory and Yellowwood trees planted for America’s 250th birthday were grown at Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants. The Center collects, preserves, and distributes historic plant varieties and strives to promote greater appreciation for the origins and evolution of garden plants. The program centers on Jefferson’s horticultural interests and the plants he grew at Monticello.
To honor the 250th Birthday of our country, the TRWA will add our volunteer hours for planting these historic trees to the America 250th Celebration Volunteer effort, America Gives. https://america250.org/america-gives/, participating in the largest volunteer effort in US history.
