In search of Holliston’s ‘significant’ trees
By Theresa Knapp
The Holliston Garden Club Treespotters Committee and Friends of Trees are working to identify “significant” trees on public land within the Town of Holliston.
The purpose of the project, which was announced in November, is to “list and identify our town’s largest living creatures, our trees, in order to document them as part of our town’s history and preserve them.”
According to the town website, the team is now asking for the public’s help to identify trees for special recognition.
To nominate a tree, or group of trees, people are asked to complete the form at bit.ly/HollistonSignificantTrees. The form asks for the tree location (or closest address to the tree), its species, circumference, and reason for nominating the tree (age, history, beauty, rarity, size, form, function). Nominators can also include photographs.
According to the Holliston Garden Club website, “Regardless of state recognition, the HGC is interested in providing an inventory of “significant” trees to our Tree Warden, Conservation Commission, and other stakeholders for preservation and conservation purposes.”
The HGC site also says that “some categories will allow the town to apply for ‘Legacy Tree’ status with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.”
Source: www.townofholliston.us/home/news/help-identify-significant-trees-in-holliston
What is a
‘Legacy Tree’?
According to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, there is one tree in Holliston that is registered as a “Legacy Tree” with the state. The location is not available since it is not publicly accessible, but it is listed as a “plantanus occidentalis” (also known as an American sycamore, buttonwood, etc.) and was measured in Jan. 2023 to have a circumference of 69.7 inches, height of 64.0 inches, and average spread of 53.9 inches.
Using a DCR calculation, the tree also has 147.2 “big tree points” in an effort to reach “Champion Tree” status.
For more information, visit www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-legacy-tree-program
