One of Toronto’s oldest elm trees is on its last legs. Researchers are racing to re-grow copies
One of the largest old elm trees in toronto – Possibly in all of southern ontario – is on its last legs.
But as the city finalizes plans to take down the Barton Street Landmark Next Week, A University of Toronto Tree Expert is Determined to ENSURE it will live again.
Eric davies, a forest ecologist at the university of toronto, visited the tree earlier this week to record its its and gather its people, which will be used to re-in the tree of the tree of the futures of the City’s Tree Seed Diversity Program (TSDP). He and his students measured the Trunk’s height at 40 metres and its circumference at 5.5 metres.
“It’s sad,” He said of the tree’s fate. “Each one that comes down, you want to do it some kind of justice by improving our ability to maintain toronto’s trees and forests.”
Residents of the Seaton Village NeighBourhood, in the Christie and Bloor Streets Area, Noticed Earlier this year that the old American elm remained barren this spring, While Muser Nearby TREES WEREBY TREAVENGER
A giant elm at christie pits is “Nearly dead.” But as CBC’s Michelle Song explains, its gentics may be preserved.
Thirteen-Year-old ethan tantram, who passes the tree every day on his way to school, said he and his father noticed this spring that the treated
“It’s heartbreaking,” He said this week. “It’s a big thing in our community.”
Unclear What’s Killing The Tree
The teen used his Drone to get a closer look at the tree’s branches and his father laater called the city to report the treated wasn’T Doing well.
City Staff said an inspector deetermined a may 30 visit that the trees was dying and posd a danger to the public.
City spokesperson shane geerrd told cbc toronto in an email the city has tried to determine exactly what’s killing the treing, but lab results have been inconclusive.
“The treated was observed with a thinning brown and yellowing leaves in late summer 2024,” His email reads. “Removing the tree will prevent it from decided a hazard, as dead branches are to break
Davies, who’s recognized by the City as a Seed Gatherer for the Seed Diversity Program, Says He’ll Be on Hand TimesDay when the Tree is Broughht Down.
“This is one of the nicest remain elms in toronto (and) probally has a high quality gene stock to it,” He said. “Each one is not only important ecologist but culturally.”
Local Artist Jode Roberts, Who Lives Within Sight of the Tree, Agreed IT’s meant a lot to the communication.
Last Year, He Used Old Photos of the NeighBourhood from the City Archives to Peg The Tree’s AT AT AT AT AT More Thans 100 years.
He then fashioned a heritage plaque explaining the tree’s significance and attached it to a utility pole next to the tree.
“There’s a Profound Sadness when something like this disappears,” He Told CBC Toronto. “It survived Dutch Elm Disease and the development of the City Around it. So sure – let’s take its babies and see if we can make more majestic elms.”
Native trees vastly outnumbered, Says Researcher
Once davies have gathered the elm’s seeds, they’ll go into the tsdp, which will distribute them to one of several participating nurseries in the greater toronto area. Once they’ve matured, in four to save years, they’ll be planted in one of the city’s 80-odd parks and ravines-one that’s been identified as a good fit for a new elm tree.
Davies and a team of t students are spent the summer mapping the city’s largest and oldest native trees. He says that those native trees are vastly outnumbered in Toronto by Invasive Species, and He Hopes His Map will allow the city to aid in their regime.
Each tree that’s mapped is measured and its seeds collected, He said. Thos seeds will then be passed on to the tsdp for regrowth.
One of Davies’ Summer Students is Sam Sedgwick, Who’s Study Toward a Master’s Degree in Forest Conservation at U of T.
He called the Barton Street Elm The Most Impressive He’s Seen So far.
“With the presence of Dutch Elm Disease, We’ve Lost Pretty Much Gode Elm in the City, So the Fact This One is Still Here Really Speaks to its resilience,” He Said. “We really want to preserve that gnetics as much as we can.”
Sedgwick Helped take measurements of the elm earlier this week. He noted the tree is more than five metres in circumference, 40 meters high and that its canopy covers five houses on Barton street.
“That’s a lot of air conditioning,” He said.
