Cedar Rapids seeks biggest trees

Americorps workers Cyndi (cq) O'Hern (left) of Ankeny and Ken Holland of Cedar Rapids stretch a measuring tape to measure the girth of a tree in Ellis Park as they gather data for the Trees Forever Champion tree competition Monday in northwest Cedar Rapids. The pair had to switch to a longer tape measure/ Jim Slosiarek, The Gazette

By Rick Smith
The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS — Sharon Carmody-Holmes still recalls the yard tour she got in 1985 before she and husband Bob decided to buy the house at 2127 Greenwood Dr. SE.

One of two giant ginkgo trees in the backyard, the owner reported, ranked as the largest tree of its kind in the city, if not beyond.

Like fish stories, surely there are tree stories, too.

Now, though, Daniel Gibbins, the city of Cedar Rapids’ arborist, and Trees Forever of Marion have joined forces to create a contest to determine which trees of differing species in Cedar Rapids are, in fact, the city’s champion trees.

Through the end of the month, residents are encouraged to nominate trees in their own yards or those in other spots in the city, whether on public or private property.

Gibbins encourages residents to measure their own trees and then nominate them. Three measurements are needed — height, circumference and crown spread — with height being the trickiest.

Trees Forever also has trained a cadre of volunteers, which include Green Iowa AmeriCorps volunteers in Cedar Rapids, to help with the measuring. The volunteers also are out following leads for possible champion trees.

Upon hearing of the big-tree contest, Carmody-Holmes and her husband, who has been involved with Trees Forever from its founding 20 years ago, didn’t think twice about seeing if there was something to the claim of the prize ginkgo that had come with the purchase of their house.

Their own measurement of their largest ginkgo, at 104 feet tall, appears to place it well above the tallest ginkgo on the current Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ state list.

“It is pretty breathtaking as far as the size,” Carmody-Holmes says. “You look out the kitchen window and all you see is the tree, the sky and the clouds.”

The state big-tree list is a bit of a work in progress, and trees can fall off the list because, as Cedar Rapids arborist Gibbins notes, wind storms, ice storms and drought can take their toll on the oldest, most spectacular trees. Trees fall into decline over time, Gibbins says, and once a tree begins to fail, it’s hard to reverse course.

The DNR promotes its 2003 Big Trees list on its Web site, and the state’s largest red maple on that list was in Cedar Rapids.

A hunt to find it lead to the home at 1254 Elmhurst Dr. NE, adjacent to the Mount Mercy College campus. The front lawn revealed the spot where the tree once stood. The homeowner since has died, too.

A wind storm in recent years blew half the tree down, and the city removed the rest, says Rita Hutchins, neighbor across the street at 1251 Elmhurst Dr. NE. She, too, lost a giant tree in recent years from her front yard.

“It’s kind of like losing an old friend when they have to come down,” Hutchins says.

Once the big-tree contest ends at month’s end, the city’s Gibbins will remeasure tree nominees to determine which are champions. He then will nominate the city champion trees for the state’s list and a national list.

Now scheduled, too, is a June 19 event in which he and Trees Forever will conduct a tour of the city’s champion trees as part of the city’s Freedom Festival.

“We would like to know where these big trees are,” says Gibbins, “and with all that’s gone on, I think this is just a great event, even considering the flooding and the recovery.”

Measure up
Trees are ranked on three measurements: circumference, height and crown spread. Ranking is determined by total points.

• Circumference: Measure around the tree trunk at 4.5 feet above the ground. Each inch is one point.
• Height: An estimated height can be made using a yardstick. First, measure 100 feet from the tree. Next, hold the yardstick vertically, 25 inches from the eye. Align the zero inch mark on the yardstick at the base of the tree and note the inch mark that aligns with the top of the tree. Every inch equals 4 feet of height. Height contributes 1 point for each foot.
• Crown spread: Measure from a point directly below branch tips on one side of the tree to a point directly below branch tips on the other side of the tree. Make a second measurement at right angles to the first. Average the two measurements. Crown spread counts for 1/4 point for each foot.

To compete, contact Trees Forever at (319) 373-0650 or at agreen@treesforever.org

2009 Gazette Communications