The Wagner Walk

The Wagner Walk

Here is an extension of the Rolandvue walk, in the same tentative vein, emphasis mostly on the tree identification.

At the intersection of Cloverlea Rd and Rolandvue turn west rather than east.  Face the driveway across from Cloverlea.  There is a green Smoke Bush on the right, then a large hybrid American chestnut to the left of the drive.  This brings up the historic chestnut blight of the last century. This tree is less than 100 years old,after the blight. Further up the drive is a Japanese Dawn Cedar about 70 feet tall.  Next to this is a white pine, while behind the garage are a white oak and then a red oak.  Even in the winter the white oak can be recognized by right angle thick branches.

On the path leading to the pool is a star magnolia. Look for large white flowers in the spring. The large hemlock near the road,closer to Bellona is being treated regularly for wooly adelgid.  A little further along is a Leyland cypress, a hybrid between two cultivated cypress varieties which would have been 500 miles apart in the wild.  Being sterile hybrids, Leylands are now spread through cuttings.

Near the corner of Bellona and Rolandvue are two beeches,an American beech an a Copper beech.  The copper is closer to Rolandvue, but this may need to be checked in the spring by the difference in foliage.

Looking north across the yard to the stream there is an interesting mixed grove of dawn redwoods and bald cypress.  Knees have formed around the cypress but barely visible above the ground.  The cypress are close to the stream. The redwoods are 25 years old,reddish trunks with deep vertical furrows. There are a mixture of maples adding color to the grounds in the late fall. (many thanks to B.C.)


Take Wagner Road, uphill to the South.  On your right is a Redbud, a line of Roses, and a Magnolia.  At the corner of the lane entering from the west, is a Box Elder, a maple relative and a tree that when large can also be tapped for sugar.  Above the lane on the right are more Sage Oranges, and a grove of Tulip Poplars.   On the left climbing the hill was a Catalpa and some Hemlocks.  Behind the hemlocks, higher on the hill is a tall female Gingko with the fragrant fruit on the ground and still clinging to the branches.

Between the gingko and the road the smaller tree is a persimmon,something to watch through next year. Further up the hill on the left  there is an evergreen with the awl shaped leaves, cryptomeria.

As the road bends at 1015 drive there are White Pines on the left and Japanese maples on the right.  The small tree to the right next to the fence looks like a Chinese Elm, the typical small round seeds or samaras.  Across the road is an evergreen with shedding bark, lacy needles, an eastern red cedar.  This is the tree of cedar closets,cedar chests but confusingly actually a juniper and not a cedar.  It was also the main source of #2 pencils for many years.

In the yard to the left  is a remnant of the Apple  orchard previously common on the hill.  Fruit bats were more common years ago and would frequently be found in the houses.  The evergreens along the roads are former Christmas trees.  The three to the west are Colorado blue spruce.  The fourth, close to the driveway is a Fraser fir.  The twigs on the latter have a softer feel.  There are other firs such as Balsam very close to the same?

Large Ginkgo trees are on the straight narrow part of the road on the right.  Stop to smell the fruit on the road in the fall.  This is an evolutionarily old tree in the evergreen group.  The use of ginko biloba as a medication remains controversial. The walks have included most of the evergreens except for the Larch/Tamarack group.  You have to go near the top of the Bellona  hill on the left to see a larch.  It has lost its needles here late in the fall, but has unusual knobby twigs.

There is a Norfolk pine near the fence to the right.  It has gotten too large for containers, but is well outside its usual range.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Toward the end of Wagner are pines, mostly white pines based on the 5 needle bundles. There is spruce and  another Linden on the left, two white oaks and more cryptomeria on the right.  The oaks are from acorns of the Wye Oak, the Maryland state tree on the eastern shore. The Wye Oak itself was an acorn in the 1500s.

Walking  back along Wagner toward Rolandvue there is a tulip Magnolia Tree, inside the white gate, more spectacular blossoms in the spring.

This is an overview of the local trees.  There are more details to be seen in the spruce,pines and maples.  Each could be more specifically identified.  Identification is just a start,the tree behavior is interesting, is the pollen allergenic, is it male,female or both?  What are the interactions with wildlife?  How do the variety of trees deal with energy, temperature and humidity through the variety of leaves?

Update: Even trees are dynamic, the Norfolk pine did not survive the winter.  a Ivory Silk Tree was found in the wooded area along the north side of Wagner just  beyond the Christmas trees. Watch for the white flowers in June and brown capsules into the fall.