Happy Arbor Day Marylanders! It's interesting that each state is slightly different, as they each celebrate this special day on a date of their own choosing (although the majority will celebrate their Arbor Day within the month of April). Maryland is always the first Wednesday in April and we celebrate our state tree, which is the White Oak!
Despite its name, it is not common to find a White Oak with white bark; it is usually gray in color. They are a very broad tree and are often as wide as they are tall. They are one the the first hardwoods of eastern North America and are known to have lived over 600 years. The oldest and largest white oak in the United States stood for more than 460 years in Wye Mills, Maryland and was called the Wye Oak. The Wye Oak was the honaray state tree of Maryland but was destroyed by a thunderstorm in 2002.
Since we're on the topic of old trees -the world's oldest known living tree is a conifer in Sweden that dates back to the end of the last Ice Age.According to National Geographic, the ancient tree - called a Norway spruce (Picea abies) - sprouted in Sweden's Dalarna province over 9,550 years ago. Researchers found the "shrubby" mountain tree at an altitude of 2,985 feet.
"Though the visible portion of the tree is not as old, parts of the root system were radiocarbon dated to determine its age. Scientists say the Norway spruce's ability to clone itself contributed to the specimen's long lifespan: When one stem dies, another grows from the rootstock," reports National Geographic.
Sources: www.nationalgeographic.com; www.wikipedia.com
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