Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

Norway Spruce
Picea abies

40 feet, huh? Ours is now over 100.

Do you know how old your big spruce is? I live in New York State and there is a giant Norway spruce barely ten feet from the front of the house. That original part of the house was built in 1780 and was owned by the builder's family until 1934, when my family bought this farm. The earliest record of the tree is a daguerrotype of the house from the late 1860's that my 83 year old father saw once at the time his dad purchased the house. Our earliest picture of the tree dates to the 1930's. I am interested in this tree's history because I read in a book (Pleasant Valley by Louis Bromfield, pub 1945) that John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, who lived from 1774-1845 and who spent the last 50 years of his life growing and planting trees, used to gift newlywed couples with a pair of Norway spruces planted to frame their farmhouse's front doors. Bromfield said that all over the Northeast there are pairs of these giant Norway spruce which have long outlived the houses they sheltered. I have seen such giants, but have yet to find landowners who know the provenance of their trees. I've wondered if our tree could be the survivor of such a pair, but don't know how to go about finding out. Do you know the history of your tree? Does anyone else have any knowledge of this subject? Thanks.

Ailios

Ailios, what an interesting bit of information. Unfortunately, I do not know the age of this tree. We purchased this home about 20 years ago and the tree was huge then. We, too, have a picture of the tree, already a very large size in the photo, taken in 1932. There is a large Christmas tree star about halfway up the tree. Locals tell us the the family who vuilt the home used to put the star up and then take it down after the holidays each year. Story goes that it was too hard to put the star up and take it down, so they just left it there.

The tree is indeed a giant. Visible from a far distance and a stand out among its neighboring trees. You have inspired me to try to find out a bit more info as to its age. All I have been told so far when I ask around is, "It's been there as long as anyone can remember."

Thanks for your prompt reply; I've never posted here and didn't expect that.

Visible from a far distance, absolutely. Our house and tree sits at the bottom of a 130-acre bowl, but I can still sometimes spot the tree's top when exiting the interstate more than a mile away. Is your spruce on an elevation; how old is your house? I am familiar with Boone's topography, being a fellow Tarheel (born and raised in Union County). Last summer I spotted a pair of giant Norway spuces on a small mountain overlooking a pasture in the Berkshires. I drove towards them for several miles before I reached the dirt road to the summit. The trees are in a retired couple's yard; they bought the house three years ago along with the surrounding 20 acres, but didn't know much about the property. There are remnants of an old stone chimney exactly where a farmhouse might have stood behind the trees, and another small farmhouse, circa 1920's, about a hundred yards away. The couple was excited by the idea of their trees being planted by Johnny Appleseed; she was a history teacher from John Chapman's hometown in Massachusetts, and was going to look into the matter. They planned to travel this year in their RV and email me pictures of pairs of Chapman spruces they spotted, but I haven't heard from them yet. If I do, I'll pass on their news. And if it ever stops raining here, I'll get some pictures of my tree and post them.

Bring your rain up here!! We need rain so badly it's not even funny. I look forward to hearing more about the trees. I am a big tree lover though I sometimes have a hard time identifying them.

Ailios,

Nice to meet a fellow tarheel! Our home dates early 20's. We're about about 3500 feet above sea level. There are no remnants of another home here BUT there is one of the original one-room school houses in the county just down the hill from our property. I find the Johnny Appleseed story intriguing....

At long last, here is a picture of our giant Norway spruce in Orange County, New York. This long view is the only way to capture the whole tree, and it offers a perspective of the tree's size relative to the two story house.