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Old North Knoxville Trees
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By Kim Davis
A prominent neighborhood tree
(referred to as a “crown prince”) is this Magnolia found at 131 E.
Scott.
One cannot deny that the unique, rich architecture in Old North Knoxville is greatly enhanced by the presence of the green tree canopy. We all look forward to this time of year, with the orange-hued Sugar Maples, Red Maples, and the Black Oaks, Silver Maples and especially the Ginkgos blazing their yellows. In addition to the mature trees that grace our streets and yards, our neighborhood has also been the beneficiary of many new street trees over the years through the City of Knoxville’s tree planting program. However, it is important to note that our urban forest is not a static museum. It is a complex system of ecological merit that is ultimately dependent upon our individual efforts to maintain its health, since most of the loveliest, ancient trees that shade our neighborhood are on private residential property. So how are trees doing in our neck of the woods? It is evident to many that subtle changes are taking place with the local tree canopy, caused by trees reaching the end of their natural lifespan, disease, drought, and lightning. Other stressors are man-made, such as careless over-trimming by the electric utility company, disruption of root systems by the replacement of aging sewer lines, soil compaction, and impacts with cars. All of these things chip away at the viability of Old North’s urban forest. To answer this question, I talked with
Jim Cortese, owner of Cortese Tree
Specialists, Inc. and chair of the Knoxville Tree Board for over a decade. He has cared for Old North’s trees for the past 25 years.
Jim says that a relatively small public investment could be made to maintain our city’s tree canopy better. One of the most common complaints stems from how the electric utility company goes about trimming trees. Granted, this practice is a necessary evil to keep the lights on in our houses, and the constant onslaught of utility saws on our gorgeous trees’ branches is a direct result of our area’s temperate climate, long growing season, and ample rainfall. As practiced in other Tennessee cities, Jim suggests that the city or utility company hire a professional arborist. This person would oversee the pro-active cataloging of prominent street trees, supervise trimming when needed, and check on adherence to the largely unenforced tree ordinance. The payoff would occur by greatly reducing the combativeness, bad feelings, and time wasted dealing with insensitive (and often uninformed) tree management. And it just makes sense to try to protect public and private investment in trees, if for no other reason than to keep Knoxville an attractive area for its current and future residents.
Jim warns that many of Old North’s “overstory” (i.e., tall) trees are especially susceptible to problems at this point in history. Red Oaks are especially sensitive to people pressures, like the one that had to be removed at 505 E. Scott Avenue recently – it had experienced extreme root rot which made it a “standing hazard.” However, we can take measures to address this situation. Jim says that homeowners need to “get over” the fear of spending a little money to maintain their historic trees (especially considering what they add to our individual property values), and have them inspected on a regular basis. Regular maintenance, through removal of invasive weeds like ivy, pruning, liquid root injection of nutrients, pesticides and/or fungicides, and lightning protection, can go a long way toward adding a few years or even decades to a tree’s life. Also, there are things we can do inexpensively or even for free. Take a few moments to plant new trees, avoiding non-native species
(e.g, Pin Oaks and Bradford Pears). I planted a Silver Maple seedling I found back in 2001, and it is now a 20-foot tall tree. Through the planting of new trees and care of the remaining old trees, steps are already being taken to build and maintain Old North’s canopy. However, we need to increase the awareness of the connection between the maintenance of Knoxville’s larger urban forest and our quality of life. This will come partly from letting our elected representatives and other public officials know that they too play an important role in maintaining a healthy tree canopy. |
