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Newport, Rhode Island, United States

Gilded Age South Tree Walk

Visit incredible specimen trees and legendary Newport landmarks. Courtesy of The Newport Arboretum.

Gilded Age South Tree Walk
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Length: 3.0 miles / 4.8 km
Duration: 1-3 hours
Family Friendly • Dog Friendly
 
Overview: As the center of city life during Newport’s reign as the Gilded Age’s ‘Queen of Resorts,’ Bellevue Avenue has been rightly called Rhode Island’s most famous street. These two tree walks (Gilded Age North and Gilded Age South) feature specimen trees gracing the landscapes of Newport’s incredible Gilded Age mansions.


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Points of Interest

map

Copper Beech
Copper Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea'

Copper Beeches are declining in Newport due to old age, stresses from planting conditions and a fungal disease that attacks many of these vulnerable trees, most of which are over 100 years old.

Other cultivars are threatened as well, but purple beeches appear to be dying at a much faster rate. Newport’s landscape, both historically and culturally, would be devastated by the loss of this species.

Certain Purple European Beech cultivars are known to have a deeper and longer-lasting color. For example, River’s Purple European Beeches are known for their unusually dark purple color, kept throughout the season. This may be the most famous of all beech varieties in England, developed and introduced there by the nursery of Thomas Rivers around 1860.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients. The lifespan of the European beech is typically 150 to 200 years.

Beeches grow exceptionally well here in Newport’s seaside climate.

! FUN FACT!
The European Beech starts to flower when it is between 30–80 years old.
Animals/Wildlife
map

European Beech
European Beech
Fagus sylvatica

This row of European Beech trees were all planted over 125 years ago. In front of the trees, notice that beech seedlings have made their way into the hedge.

The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Weeping Japanese Maple
Weeping Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum

Located in the center of the circular driveway.

Japanese Maples offer dappled light and unusually artistic branch formations. There are many different (over a thousand) cultivars of Japanese Maple, and even seedlings from the same tree typically show marked genetic differences such as leaf shape, size and color.

! FUN FACT!
In the late 1700’s, Swedish doctor and naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828) traveled to Japan and secreted out drawings of a small tree. He gave it the species the name palmatum after the hand-like shape of its leaves. Thunberg was a student of Carl Linnaeus, and developed the first detailed description of Japanese flora and fauna at a time when few visitors were given access to the islands of Japan.
Animals/Wildlife
map

American Yellowwood
American Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea

This grouping of three young Yellowwood trees are located on the front lawn behind the privet hedge close to the sidewalk. When mature, they can be mistaken for beech trees due to a similar bark color and texture and leaf shapes. However, the color of Yellowwood leaves differ from that of the beech with bright green leaves in summer and impressive yellow fall color.

Notice the smooth, silvery bark of this tree. It is called Yellowwood because the interior wood (heartwood) is yellow. Native to the southeastern United States but rare in the wild, the Yellowwood has one of the most spectacular flowering displays of any tree, flowering every few years in early June. The flowers are white, fragrant, and pendulous (weeping, from the Latin pendulus) in habit.
Animals/Wildlife
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Horsechestnut
Horsechestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum

Well-planted throughout the city, the Horsechestnut is awash in white flowers during mid-May of each year. Newport also has a reddish-pink flowering variety, Aesculus x carnea.

Although it is known as a messy tree with dry leaves falling prematurely in late summer and the chestnut fruit cluttering the ground beneath the tree during the fall months, this species has remained a favorite for its stately appearance and show of seasonal color. The seed pods and fruit are a favorite of children and resemble a buck’s eye.

Horsechestnuts are very tolerant of ocean and wind conditions. The Horsechestnut, originally imported from Balkan Peninsula, is a relative of our native Buckeye.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Maidenhair
Maidenhair
Ginkgo biloba

The Ginkgo biloba is the last surviving species of this unusual genus.

A ‘living fossil,’ the Ginkgo tree is one of the oldest surviving plant species on earth (over 280 million years old!). At one time native to New England, and considered one of the most primitive plants on earth today, it was long thought to be extinct in the wild. There is still debate about this. Although surviving stands of Ginkgo have been discovered in China, it is not known if they were cultivated or if they constitute a truly wild, native population of Ginkgo.

Ginkgo trees can be male or female. If you have a female Ginkgo, be careful to rake up fruit in the fall; it quickly becomes rancid.

! FUN FACT !
The Ginkgo leaf is the only leaf of a seed plant that does not form a branching network of veins (called an anastomosis). Can you see the pattern of veins in the leaf? How is it different from a maple leaf?
Animals/Wildlife
map

Copper Beech
Copper Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea'

Copper Beeches are declining in Newport due to old age, stresses from planting conditions and a fungal disease that attacks many of these vulnerable trees, most of which are over 100 years old.

Other cultivars are threatened as well, but purple beeches appear to be dying at a much faster rate. Newport’s landscape, both historically and culturally, would be devastated by the loss of this species.

Certain Copper European Beech cultivars are known to have a deeper and longer-lasting color. For example, River’s Purple European Beeches are known for their unusually dark purple color, kept throughout the season. This may be the most famous of all beech varieties in England, developed and introduced there by the nursery of Thomas Rivers around 1860.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients. The lifespan of the European beech is typically 150 to 200 years.

Beeches grow exceptionally well here in Newport’s seaside climate.

! FUN FACT!
The European Beech starts to flower when it is between 30–80 years old.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Fernleaf European Beech
Fernleaf European Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'

The limbs of this mature specimen of a Fernleaf Beech have been pruned over time to allow the tree to adapt to its location close to the driveway.

The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world. The variety, ‘Asplenifolia,’ is a particularly elegant example of a European Beech, and many impressive specimens of this variety are found around the city.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Animals/Wildlife
map

European Beech
European Beech
Fagus sylvatica

A fine example of a European Beech tree. One can imagine how this tree complemented this former estate when horse-drawn carriages traversed the main drive in place of the automobiles of today.

The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world.

The root system of the European beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Katsura
Katsura
Cericidiphyllum japonicum

This tree has an interesting form with a multi-trunk structure.

The Katsura is one of the largest of the Asian hardwoods and has delicate, heart-shaped leaves.

! FUN FACT !
In the autumn, Katsura leaves have a pleasant smell resembling burnt brown sugar or cotton candy
Information
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Information Station
Animals/Wildlife
map

Littleleaf Linden
Little Leaf Linden
Tilia cordata

As you approach the drive of this estate, you can find a large Littleleaf Linden tree (also known as Small-leaved Linden or Small-leaved Lime) on the edge of the property that has grown to consume the iron fence. Within the gates is the Silver Linden (Tilia tomentosa) with large, silver-backed leaves.

The Tilia, also known as Linden, Basswood or Lime, is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Soft, pliable basswood is widely used in model-making and intricate carving.

In Europe, Lime trees are known to have reached ages measured in centuries, if not longer. A coppice of Tilia cordata in the Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire is thought to be 2,000 years old. The U.K. Forestry Commission describes this ancient coppice (pictured in the photos below) on their website:

“Lying in the heart of Silk Wood (11M) this ancient lime coppice is one of Westonbirt’s most remarkable features. Although it might look like a large shrub, this large thicket of lime stems is a relic of an earlier age when the woodland was intensively managed to provide wood for fuel and other domestic use. The regular cutting of trees back to ground level is known as coppicing and was a well established practice as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. Over hundreds of years of repeated cutting, the stump (or stool, as it is known) gradually spreads outwards in a ring until it reaches the proportions of this one. Despite its modest height, we know that all the stems are part of one enormous plant that has been estimated to be over 2,000 years old.”

This tree is tolerant of air pollution as well as hot, dry conditions. It is a vigorous growing tree with a straight and very strong trunk.

! FUN FACT !
Bees sipping the nectar of Linden flowers produce a very desirable monofloral Linden honey with a mildly woody aroma. The young leaves of Tilia cordata make an excellent green salad base, and the blossom is considered medicinal.
Animals/Wildlife
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Japanese Cedar
Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria japonica

Here you see a grouping of Cryptomeria in the park.

The Cryptomeria genus (in the Cypress family – not related to the Cedars) contains only one species, Cryptomeria japonica, grand in size and lifespan.

Called Sugi in its native land of Japan where it is the national tree, it is often planted around temples and shrines. The wood of this tree is similar in appearance to cedar and is used for paneling in Japan. Its introduction into the Azore islands has decimated the natural laurel forests, threatening many species.

!FUN FACT! A 40-mile avenue of Japanese Cedar planted in honor of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1616 can still be enjoyed today.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Dawn Redwood
Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Here we see two Dawn Redwood trees. This tree can easily exceed 100’ in height.

The Dawn Redwood tree is a deciduous conifer. Unlike most conifers, it sheds its needles in the winter. The needles grow to a bright green during the summer months and evolve to a rust color in late fall just prior to falling away and leaving the tree bare for the winter months.

It is the only living species in its genus.

HISTORY
Once thought to be extinct, a stand of Metasequoia glyptostroboides was discovered in China in 1944. It was introduced to the United States in 1948 when Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum sent an expedition to China to collect seeds. This particular Dawn Redwood was planted in 1980 in honor of the Newport Tree Warden.

ENDANGERED IN THE WILD
The Dawn Redwood is critically endangered in the wild. Although it is widely grown in yards and parks, when existing wild stands die, the Dawn Redwood’s forest ecosystem could disappear entirely.

! FUN FACT !
In recent years, wild groves of Metasequoia glyptostroboides have been planted in a preserve in North Carolina, constituting the only wild Dawn Redwood forest outside of China. The preserve is scheduled to be opened to the public – in 2035! This is the first time the Dawn Redwood has grown in a natural habitat in this part of the world in 35 million years.
Animals/Wildlife
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European Ash
European Ash
Fraxinus excelsior

Fraxinus is a genus in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. Fraxinus excelsior, also known as European Ash or Common Ash, is native to Europe and southwest Asia. Impressive in size, the European Ash is fairly long-lived, but rarely exceeds 250 years in age.

! FUN FACTS !

Both male and female flowers can occur on the same tree (although this is not common). In addition, a tree that is all male one year can produce female flowers the next, and similarly a female tree can become male.

Ash is the only wood used for the manufacture of hurleys, the wooden sticks used in the game of hurling in Ireland. In fact, hurling is often referred to as, “The Clash of the Ash.”

In ancient Norse mythology, an ash tree called Yggdrasil serves as the center of the world. Its roots were anchored in the underworld and its crown touched the arc of heaven.
Information
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Information Station
Animals/Wildlife
map

Rovensky Park
The Preservation Society of Newport County owns and maintains Rovensky Park within these walls for the enjoyment of the public. The Aquidneck Land Trust recently received conservation easements on the park, ensuring that it will forever remain open space. Many of the trees within the park are labeled.
Animals/Wildlife
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River Birch

River Birch
Betula nigra

This ornamental tree is valued for its exfoliating bark. The color and texture vary with age and can be best appreciated in winter.

The River Birch is native to the eastern United States and is commonly found in flood plains or swamps. Often, species that are adapted to low-oxygen, water-logged soil also do well in urban environments (where soil can also be low in oxygen as it becomes hard-packed by foot traffic).

! FUN FACT !

Native Americans used the sap of the River Birch as a sweetener similar to maple syrup, and the inner bark as a survival food.
Animals/Wildlife
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Fernleaf European Beech

Fernleaf European Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'


The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world. The variety, ‘Asplenifolia,’ is a particularly elegant example of a European Beech, and many impressive specimens of this variety are found around the city.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Fernleaf European Beech

Fernleaf European Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'


The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world. The variety, ‘Asplenifolia,’ is a particularly elegant example of a European Beech, and many impressive specimens of this variety are found around the city.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Fernleaf European Beech
Fernleaf European Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'


The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world. The variety, ‘Asplenifolia,’ is a particularly elegant example of a European Beech, and many impressive specimens of this variety are found around the city.

The root system of the European Beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Sugar Maple

Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum

Sugar Maples are a staple of the hardwood forests of the northern and central United States. Tolerant of shade and poor soil, it is notable that the Sugar Maple engages in hydraulic lift – drawing water up into the shallower, drier layers of soil, benefiting plants in the vicinity of the tree. It is susceptible to pollution and road salt.

In many areas, the Sugar Maple is being crowded out by the Norway Maple, often resulting in a loss of native flora diversity in forests.

SAMARAS
The Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) is frequently confused with the Sugar Maple. To tell them apart, observe the sap that runs out of the base of the leaf stem (also called the petiole). The Norway Maple has white sap, while the Sugar Maple's sap is clear. Also, the seeds of Sugar Maple are globose (spherical), while Norway Maple seeds are flat.

Sugar Maples have samaras. A samara (also called a winged achene) is a simple dry fruit with a flat wing. The shape of a samara enables the wind to carry the seed from the parent tree.

The seed can be in the center of the wing, as in elms, or on one side, making the seed rotate as it falls, as in maples. A samara is sometimes called a key and is often referred to as a whirlybird, helicopter, whirligig, polynose, or a spinning jenny.

Some species that normally produce double samaras, such as Acer pseudoplatanus, can also produce multi-lobed samaras with 3 or 4 seeds.

! FUN FACT !
Bowling alleys and basketball courts are commonly manufactured from Sugar Maple.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Hinoki Falsecypress

Hinoki Falsecypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa

A native of Japan and Taiwan, this conifer was introduced to the United States in 1861. The varying contrast of light and dark on the opposite sides of its evergreen branches make it a favorite specimen tree.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Horsechestnut

Horsechestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum

These Horsechestnuts have re-rooted into the ground, creating a billowing and animated look.

Prized for its showy white flowers in early May, the Horsechestnut is well planted throughout the city. Newport also has a reddish-pink flowering variety, Aesculus x carnea. Horsechestnuts are very tolerant of ocean and wind conditions. The seed pods and fruit are a favorite of children and resemble a buck’s eye. The Horsechestnut, originally imported from Balkan Peninsula, is a relative of our native Buckeye.

A London Planetree (Platanus x acerifolia) can be spotted in the distance.
Landmark
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Rough Point
This summer home of tobacco heiress, Doris Duke, is still decorated as she left it. The expansive grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.
Animals/Wildlife
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Turkey Oak

Turkey Oak
Quercus cerris

As you peer through the entrance gate to Rough Point, this stately tree serves to frame the magnificent view of the main lawn and ocean beyond.

Not to be confused with the American Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis), this Eurasian oak is relatively rare outside of arboretums. Newport is fortunate to have a large collection of striking mature specimens. The acorns are a great source of food for wildlife. Stand back to appreciate the tree’s mighty form and picturesque branching structure.
Animals/Wildlife
map

London Planetree

London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia

A magnificent specimen of this hearty tree. This majestic tree can reach heights of 100’ or more at maturity. It is most appreciated and planted for its stately appearance and its interesting bark.

The London Planetree is not a true species, but a hybrid tree produced from two different species (in this case, a cross between the American Sycamore and the Oriental Planetree). It was discovered at the Oxford Botanical Gardens in the 1600’s. Its distinct puzzle-like camouflage bark is often used to identify the tree.
Information
map

Information Station
Animals/Wildlife
map

Japanese Cedar
Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria japonica


Just inside the entrance of this estate you can see a stand of mature Japanese Cryptomeria grouped with some Rhododendron at their base.
The Cryptomeria genus (in the Cypress family – not related to the Cedars) contains only one species, Cryptomeria japonica, grand in size and lifespan.

Called Sugi in its native land of Japan where it is the national tree, it is often planted around temples and shrines. Its introduction into the Azore islands has decimated the natural laurel forests, threatening many species.

!FUN FACT! A 40-mile avenue of Japanese Cedar planted in honor of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1616 can still be enjoyed today.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Turkey Oak

Turkey Oak
Quercus cerris

Not to be confused with the American Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis), this Eurasian oak is relatively rare outside of arboretums. Newport is fortunate to have a large collection of striking mature specimens. The acorns are a great source of food for wildlife. Stand back to appreciate the tree’s mighty form and picturesque branching structure.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Fernleaf European Beech

Fernleaf European Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'


The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world. The variety, ‘Asplenifolia,’ is a particularly elegant example of a European Beech, and many impressive specimens of this variety are found around the city.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Trumbauer & Greber
This estate and the Elms share the same building architect (Horace Trumbauer) and landscape architect (Jacques Gréber), who often collaborated on projects.

Trumbauer designed Miramar, a grand French classical vacation villa in Newport, for Eleanor Elkins Widener. (He had previously been commissioned by Widener to design Harvard University's Widener Library in memoriam to her son who died on the Titanic in 1912.) It is notable that Trumbauer’s chief designer from 1906 to 1938 was Julian Abele, the first black architectural graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Architecture in 1902.

Miramar’s formal French gardens were designed by famous French architect, Jacques Gréber, who specialized in landscape architecture and urban design. Gréber is perhaps best known for the design of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, which terminates at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (a building designed by Trumbauer).

Looking past the fountain, note the Chamaecyparis picifera filifera ‘Aurea’ that were once the anchors for a very elaborate parterre garden. The Beech and Linden trees along the gate most likely formed a deciduous backdrop to the garden as viewed from the house.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Silver Linden

Silver Linden
Tilia tomentosa
Animals/Wildlife
map

London Planetree

London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia

This majestic tree can reach heights of 100’ or more at maturity. It is most appreciated and planted for its stately appearance and its interesting bark.

The London Planetree is not a true species, but a hybrid tree produced from two different species (in this case, a cross between the American Sycamore and the Oriental Planetree). It was discovered at the Oxford Botanical Gardens in the 1600’s. Its distinct puzzle-like camouflage bark is often used to identify the tree.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Maidenhair Tree

Maidenhair Tree
Ginkgo biloba


The Ginkgo biloba is the last surviving species of this unusual genus.

A ‘living fossil,’ the Ginkgo tree is one of the oldest surviving plant species on earth (over 280 million years old!). At one time native to New England, and considered one of the most primitive plants on earth today, it was long thought to be extinct in the wild. There is still debate about this. Although surviving stands of Ginkgo have been discovered in China, it is not known if they were cultivated or if they constitute a truly wild, native population of Ginkgo.

Ginkgo trees can be male or female. If you have a female Ginkgo, be careful to rake up fruit in the fall; it quickly becomes rancid.

! FUN FACT !
The Ginkgo leaf is the only leaf of a seed plant that does not form a branching network of veins (called an anastomosis). Can you see the pattern of veins in the leaf? How is it different from a maple leaf?
map

Marble House
Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt. Mr. Vanderbilt was the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, who established the family’s fortune in steamships and the New York Central Railroad.
Animals/Wildlife
map

London Planetree

London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia


This majestic tree can reach heights of 100’ or more at maturity. It is most appreciated and planted for its stately appearance and its interesting bark.

The London Planetree is not a true species, but a hybrid tree produced from two different species (in this case, a cross between the American Sycamore and the Oriental Planetree). It was discovered at the Oxford Botanical Gardens in the 1600’s. Its distinct puzzle-like camouflage bark is often used to identify the tree.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Copper Beech

Copper Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea'


Copper Beeches are declining in Newport due to old age, stresses from planting conditions and a fungal disease that attacks many of these vulnerable trees, most of which are over 100 years old.

Other cultivars are threatened as well, but purple beeches appear to be dying at a much faster rate. Newport’s landscape, both historically and culturally, would be devastated by the loss of this species.

Certain Purple European Beech cultivars are known to have a deeper and longer-lasting color. For example, River’s Purple European Beeches are known for their unusually dark purple color, kept throughout the season. This may be the most famous of all beech varieties in England, developed and introduced there by the nursery of Thomas Rivers around 1860.

Beeches grow exceptionally well here in Newport’s seaside climate.

! FUN FACT!
The European Beech starts to flower when it is between 30–80 years old.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Maidenhair Tree

Maidenhair Tree
Ginko biloba


The Ginkgo biloba is the last surviving species of this unusual genus.

A ‘living fossil,’ the Ginkgo tree is one of the oldest surviving plant species on earth (over 280 million years old!). At one time native to New England, and considered one of the most primitive plants on earth today, it was long thought to be extinct in the wild. There is still debate about this. Although surviving stands of Ginkgo have been discovered in China, it is not known if they were cultivated or if they constitute a truly wild, native population of Ginkgo.

Ginkgo trees can be male or female. If you have a female Ginkgo, be careful to rake up fruit in the fall; it quickly becomes rancid.

! FUN FACT !
The Ginkgo leaf is the only leaf of a seed plant that does not form a branching network of veins (called an anastomosis). Can you see the pattern of veins in the leaf? How is it different from a maple leaf?
Animals/Wildlife
map

European Hornbeam

European Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus

The Hornbeam (also known as the “European Hornbeam” or “Common Hornbeam”) is a native to England.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Weeping European Beech

Weeping European Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’


Fagus, the beech genus, comprises ten species of deciduous trees native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America.

The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree, and a majestic Weeping European Beech becomes the focal point of any landscape.
map

Copper Beech

Copper Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea'


Copper Beeches are declining in Newport due to old age, stresses from planting conditions and a fungal disease that attacks many of these vulnerable trees, most of which are over 100 years old.

Other cultivars are threatened as well, but purple beeches appear to be dying at a much faster rate. Newport’s landscape, both historically and culturally, would be devastated by the loss of this species.

Certain Purple European Beech cultivars are known to have a deeper and longer-lasting color. For example, River’s Purple European Beeches are known for their unusually dark purple color, kept throughout the season. This may be the most famous of all beech varieties in England, developed and introduced there by the nursery of Thomas Rivers around 1860.

Beeches grow exceptionally well here in Newport’s seaside climate.

! FUN FACT!
The European Beech starts to flower when it is between 30–80 years old.
map

Weeping European Beech
Weeping European Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’


Fagus, the beech genus, comprises ten species of deciduous trees native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America.

The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree, and a majestic Weeping European Beech becomes the focal point of any landscape.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Weeping European Beech

Weeping European Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula'



Fagus, the beech genus, comprises ten species of deciduous trees native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America.

The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree, and a majestic Weeping European Beech becomes the focal point of any landscape.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Littleleaf Linden
Littleleaf Linden
Tilia cordata


The Littleleaf Linden is also known as Small-leaved Linden or Small-leaved Lime.

The Tilia, also known as Linden, Basswood or Lime, is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Soft, pliable basswood is widely used in model-making and intricate carving.

In Europe, Lime trees are known to have reached ages measured in centuries, if not longer. A coppice of Tilia cordata in the Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire is thought to be 2,000 years old. The U.K. Forestry Commission describes this ancient coppice (pictured in the photos below) on their website:

“Lying in the heart of Silk Wood (11M) this ancient lime coppice is one of Westonbirt’s most remarkable features. Although it might look like a large shrub, this large thicket of lime stems is a relic of an earlier age when the woodland was intensively managed to provide wood for fuel and other domestic use. The regular cutting of trees back to ground level is known as coppicing and was a well established practice as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. Over hundreds of years of repeated cutting, the stump (or stool, as it is known) gradually spreads outwards in a ring until it reaches the proportions of this one. Despite its modest height, we know that all the stems are part of one enormous plant that has been estimated to be over 2,000 years old.”

This tree is tolerant of air pollution as well as hot, dry conditions. It is a vigorous growing tree with a straight and very strong trunk.

! FUN FACT !
Bees sipping the nectar of Linden flowers produce a very desirable monofloral Linden honey with a mildly woody aroma. The young leaves of Tilia cordata make an excellent green salad base, and the blossom is considered medicinal.
Animals/Wildlife
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American Elm

American Elm
Ulmus americana


As with many New England cities and towns, Newport once was awash with American Elms, until the devastating fungal disease. This impressive elm is one of a half dozen or so American Elms that have survived Dutch Elm disease on the island.

The American Elm was a dominant tree in cities because of its unusally long, straight trunk that holds its canopy well above utility lines. Some American cities which used elms as their primary shade tree had had some of the finest urban tree canopies in the nation until the disease obliterated their elm population in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This demonstrates the importance of species diversity in an urban forest.

An American elm named Herbie was the tallest American elm in New England until succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease and was cut down on January 19, 2010 (see photo below). Herbie was 110 feet (34 m) tall. Dendroclimatologists will use cross-sections of the trunk to help answer questions about climate during the tree's lifetime. When cut down, Herbie was 217 years old.
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Horsechestnut
Horsechestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum

These Horsechestnuts have re-rooted into the ground, creating a billowing and animated look.

Prized for its showy white flowers in early May, the Horsechestnut is well planted throughout the city. Newport also has a reddish-pink flowering variety, Aesculus x carnea. Horsechestnuts are very tolerant of ocean and wind conditions. The seed pods and fruit are a favorite of children and resemble a buck’s eye. The Horsechestnut, originally imported from Balkan Peninsula, is a relative of our native Buckeye.

A London Planetree (Platanus x acerifolia) can be spotted in the distance.
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Weeping European Beech
Weeping European Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’


Fagus, the beech genus, comprises ten species of deciduous trees native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America.

The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree, and a majestic Weeping European Beech becomes the focal point of any landscape.
Building
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Rosecliff
Rosecliff was commissioned by Theresa Fair Oelrichs, a silver heiress. Now home to the annual Newport Flower Show, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles.
Animals/Wildlife
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London Planetree

London Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia

This majestic tree can reach heights of 100’ or more at maturity. It is most appreciated and planted for its stately appearance and its interesting bark.

The London Planetree is not a true species, but a hybrid tree produced from two different species (in this case, a cross between the American Sycamore and the Oriental Planetree). It was discovered at the Oxford Botanical Gardens in the 1600’s. Its distinct puzzle-like camouflage bark is often used to identify the tree.
Animals/Wildlife
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Turkey Oak

Turkey Oak
Quercus cerris

The small tree to the left of the larger tree is a newly planted Turkey Oak.

Not to be confused with the American Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis), this Eurasian oak is relatively rare outside of arboretums. Newport is fortunate to have a large collection of striking mature specimens. The acorns are a great source of food for wildlife. Stand back to appreciate the tree’s mighty form and picturesque branching structure.
Animals/Wildlife
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Littleleaf Linden

Littleleaf Linden
Tilia cordata

Littleleaf Lindens, also known as Small-leaved Linden or Small-leaved Lime, line this drive.

The Tilia, also known as Linden, Basswood or Lime, is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Soft, pliable basswood is widely used in model-making and intricate carving.

In Europe, Lime trees are known to have reached ages measured in centuries, if not longer. A coppice of Tilia cordata in the Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire is thought to be 2,000 years old. The U.K. Forestry Commission describes this ancient coppice (pictured in the photos below) on their website:

“Lying in the heart of Silk Wood (11M) this ancient lime coppice is one of Westonbirt’s most remarkable features. Although it might look like a large shrub, this large thicket of lime stems is a relic of an earlier age when the woodland was intensively managed to provide wood for fuel and other domestic use. The regular cutting of trees back to ground level is known as coppicing and was a well established practice as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. Over hundreds of years of repeated cutting, the stump (or stool, as it is known) gradually spreads outwards in a ring until it reaches the proportions of this one. Despite its modest height, we know that all the stems are part of one enormous plant that has been estimated to be over 2,000 years old.”

This tree is tolerant of air pollution as well as hot, dry conditions. It is a vigorous growing tree with a straight and very strong trunk.

! FUN FACT !
Bees sipping the nectar of Linden flowers produce a very desirable monofloral Linden honey with a mildly woody aroma. The young leaves of Tilia cordata make an excellent green salad base, and the blossom is considered medicinal.
Information
map

Information Station
Animals/Wildlife
map

Tulip Tree

Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera

An American native and the tallest eastern hardwood (can reach 190 feet in height), the Tulip Tree is one of the most majestic giants of the Northeast.

This tree is related to the magnolia tree and displays impressive tulip-shaped flowers in late May to June.

Distinctively-shaped leaves mimic the silhouette of the tulip and turn a rich butter-yellow in autumn. The impressive flowers are tulip-shaped, yellow-green, and banded with orange at the base of the petals. These flowers go mostly unnoticed by passersby due to the fact that the trees grow so tall and the flowers are not readily visible unless one makes a concerted effort to look up into the tree’s branches at flowering time. It is well worth the effort, and a pair of binoculars will help to enhance the experience.

Eastern Native Americans used the fine grain trunks of this tree to carve out canoes (it is sometimes called canoe wood).

! FUN FACT !
Tulip Trees grow readily from seed. Seeds taken from the upper branches of old trees are the most likely to germinate.
Animals/Wildlife
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Magnolia ’Yellow Bird’

Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Yellow Bird’

Elegant magnolia hybrid with incredible yellow blooms. This tree is counted among the many Brooklynensis Hybrids from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. They descend from a cross between American native, Maganolia acuminata and Chinese Magnolia lilliflora, and then recrossed with M. Lilliflora var subcordata. Yellow Bird is more specifically a result of an early Brooklynensis, Maganolia 'Evamaria' crossed with M. l. subcordata. It was introduced in 1967.
Animals/Wildlife
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English Oak

English Oak
Quercus robur


Quercus robur is called the English Oak or Pedunculate Oak, and is native to Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus and North Africa. The Fastigiata cultivar is the most popular cultivated form of the English Oak.

HISTORY
Although it is commonly called the English oak, due to extensive use in ship building and half timber architecture, Q. robur is also native to Europe, North Africa and parts of western Asia. The genus for oaks is steeped in prehistory of Europe and well known to Linnaeus who named it Quercus. Linnaeus gave the proper species named for the common name used by Europeans for the tree: robur.

LORE
This is the ancient oak species of England, its oldest specimens once venerated by the Druids as oracles.
Animals/Wildlife
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Oak Leaf Copper Beech

Oak Leaf Copper Beech
Fagus sylvatica ‘Rohanii’

A striking Beech cultivar, ‘Rohanii’ has the strong form of a beech and the wavy, crimped leaves of an oak tree.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Maidenhair Tree

Maidenhair Tree
Ginko biloba

The Ginkgo biloba is the last surviving species of this unusual genus.

A ‘living fossil,’ the Ginkgo tree is one of the oldest surviving plant species on earth (over 280 million years old!). At one time native to New England, and considered one of the most primitive plants on earth today, it was long thought to be extinct in the wild. There is still debate about this. Although surviving stands of Ginkgo have been discovered in China, it is not known if they were cultivated or if they constitute a truly wild, native population of Ginkgo.

Ginkgo trees can be male or female. If you have a female Ginkgo, be careful to rake up fruit in the fall; it quickly becomes rancid.

! FUN FACT !
The Ginkgo leaf is the only leaf of a seed plant that does not form a branching network of veins (called an anastomosis). Can you see the pattern of veins in the leaf? How is it different from a maple leaf?
Animals/Wildlife
map

Littleleaf Linden

Littleleaf Linden
Tilia cordata

Notice the two gnarly Littleleaf Lindens, also known as Small-leaved Linden or Small-leaved Limes, to the left of the Ginko biloba.

The Tilia, also known as Linden, Basswood or Lime, is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Soft, pliable basswood is widely used in model-making and intricate carving.

In Europe, Lime trees are known to have reached ages measured in centuries, if not longer. A coppice of Tilia cordata in the Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire is thought to be 2,000 years old. The U.K. Forestry Commission describes this ancient coppice (pictured in the photos below) on their website:

“Lying in the heart of Silk Wood (11M) this ancient lime coppice is one of Westonbirt’s most remarkable features. Although it might look like a large shrub, this large thicket of lime stems is a relic of an earlier age when the woodland was intensively managed to provide wood for fuel and other domestic use. The regular cutting of trees back to ground level is known as coppicing and was a well established practice as far back as Anglo-Saxon times. Over hundreds of years of repeated cutting, the stump (or stool, as it is known) gradually spreads outwards in a ring until it reaches the proportions of this one. Despite its modest height, we know that all the stems are part of one enormous plant that has been estimated to be over 2,000 years old.”

This tree is tolerant of air pollution as well as hot, dry conditions. It is a vigorous growing tree with a straight and very strong trunk.

! FUN FACT !
Bees sipping the nectar of Linden flowers produce a very desirable monofloral Linden honey with a mildly woody aroma. The young leaves of Tilia cordata make an excellent green salad base, and the blossom is considered medicinal.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides

The Dawn Redwood tree is a deciduous conifer which can easily exceed 100’ in height.. Unlike most conifers, it sheds its needles in the winter. The needles grow to a bright green during the summer months and evolve to a rust color in late fall just prior to falling away and leaving the tree bare for the winter months.

It is the only living species in its genus.

HISTORY
Once thought to be extinct, a stand of Metasequoia glyptostroboides was discovered in China in 1944. It was introduced to the United States in 1948 when Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum sent an expedition to China to collect seeds. This particular Dawn Redwood was planted in 1980 in honor of the Newport Tree Warden.

ENDANGERED IN THE WILD
The Dawn Redwood is critically endangered in the wild. Although it is widely grown in yards and parks, when existing wild stands die, the Dawn Redwood’s forest ecosystem could disappear entirely.

! FUN FACT !
In recent years, wild groves of Metasequoia glyptostroboides have been planted in a preserve in North Carolina, constituting the only wild Dawn Redwood forest outside of China. The preserve is scheduled to be opened to the public – in 2035! This is the first time the Dawn Redwood has grown in a natural habitat in this part of the world in 35 million years.
Animals/Wildlife
map

Fernleaf European Beech

European Fernleaf Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'


The European Beech is Newport’s signature tree. Native to Europe, it was widely planted during the Gilded Age and thrives in Newport’s temperate seaside climate. Newport’s largest beeches rival the finest specimens in the world. The variety, ‘Asplenifolia,’ is a particularly elegant example of a European Beech, and many impressive specimens of this variety are found around the city.

The root system of the Eurpean beech is very shallow. The trees rely on a symbiotic relationship between their roots and soil fungi, forming ectomycorrhizas (a type of mycorrhiza, see photo below) that help the tree absorb water and nutrients.
Information
map

Information Station
Pictures in this guide taken by: newportarboretum, Frank Amaral 2012 All Rights Reserved, Frank Amaral 2012 All Rights Reserved , © 2005 Thergothon, WC, CCA2.5G, */File:Mycorrhizal_root_tips_(amanita).jpg, © 2005 Malene Thyssen, WC, CCASA2.5G, */File:Grib_skov.jpg, © 2008 Lebrac, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Drilligsbuche_Büschelbuche.jpg, © 2007 Jean-Pol Grandmont, WC, CCA3U, */File:Solwaster_AR2aJPG.jpg, This image is in the public domain., © 2006, Abrahami, WC, CCASA2.5G, */File:Acer-palmatum-ssp.jpg, */File:Acer_palmatum_Liberec_1.jpg, © 2005 Tomomarusan, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Acer_seed.jpg, © 2006 Abrahami, WC, CCASA2.5G, */File:Acer_palmatum_sango_kaku.jpg, © 2009 Elektryczne jabłko, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Cladrastis-kentukea-00.JPG, © 2006 Ram-Man, WC, CCASA2.5G, */File:Cladrastis_kentukea_Yellowwood_Branch_2000px.jpg, © 2004 Solipsist, WC, CCASA2G, */File:Aesculus_hippocastanum_fruit.jpg, © 2008 Andrew Butko, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Aesculus_hippocastanum_flowers.jpg, © 2004 Sannse, WC, CCASA3, */File:Horse-chestnut_800.jpg, This work is in the public domain., © 2010 Mactographer, WC, PA, */File:Ginkgo-biloba-tree-in-fall.jpg, © 2007 Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Ginkgo_biloba_JPG1a.jpg, © 2010 H. Zell, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Ginkgo_biloba_010.JPG, © 2004 Tortuosa, WC, */File:FagPurpurLeavesJune04.jpg, © 2007 Liné1, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Fagus_sylvatica_purpurea_%27Riversii%27_by_Line1.jpg, © 2005 Tortuosa, WC, CCASA3U, */File:FagusAsplenifolia.jpg, © 2008 Rufus46, WC, CCASA3U,*/File:Farnblaettrige_Buche-1.jpg, © 2007, WC, Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CCASA3U, */File:Cercidiphyllum_japonicum_JPG01b.jpg, As a work of the U.S. Federal government, this image is in the public domain., © sidthomas.net, © 2006 Pleple2000, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Tilia_cordata_Owoce_lipy_656.jpg, © 2009 Roger Griffith, WC, released into the public domain. */File:Eriophyes_tiliae_tiliae.JPG, © 2006 Chris 73, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Tree_lined_path_to_the_Togakushi_shrine1.jpg, © 2003 MPF, Wikipedia, CCASA3, **/File Cryjap.jpg, © 2005 Yosemite, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG, © 2005 Rasbak, WC, CCASA3U, */File:MetaseqLeaves.jpg, © 2005 Georges Jansoone, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Metasequoia_glyptostroboides.jpg, © 2006 Jesmond Dene, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Fraxinus_excelsior.jpg, Alana Brown 2012 All Rights Reserved, © 2005 Sue Sweeney, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Young_river_birch_trunks.jpg, Public domain., © 2006 Chris Glass, WC, CCA2G, */File:Autumn_leaves_%28pantone%29_crop.jpg, © As a work of the U.S. Federal government, this image is in the public domain., © 2007, KENPEI, WC, CCASA2, */File:Chamaecyparis_obtusa5.jpg, © 2006 Hamachidori, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Chamaecyparis_obtusa2.jpg, whiskers, © 2006 Prazak, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Quercus_cerris_folliage.jpg, © 2007 Liné1, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Carpinus_betulus_%27Fastigiata%27_by_Line1.jpg, © 2007 Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, WC, CCA3U, */File:Carpinus_betulus_%27Fastigiata%27_JPG1.jpg, © 2009 Ekem, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Weepingbeech.RI.JPG, © 2007 Jeffrey O. Gustafson, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Weeping_Beech.JPG, © 2008 Dudesleeper, WC, CCASA3U, */File:%27Herbie%27,_Yarmouth,_Maine.jpg, © 2008 Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, WC, CCA3U, */File:Ulmus_americana_JPG1F.jpg, © 2004 Henryhartley, WC, CCASA3U, */ File:Img_ulmus_americana_2209.jpg, © 2007 n ole, WC, CCA2G, */File:Rosecliff_(1308020662).jpg, ©2005 IngerAlHaosului, WC, CCA1G, */File:London_plane_summer.jpg, © 2010 Crusier, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Liriodendron_tulipifera_PAN.JPG, © 2007 Bruce Marlin, WC, CCASA3U, */File:Liriodendron_tulipifera.jpg, © 2010 Amada44, WC, CCA3U, */File:Liriodendron_tulipifera_02.jpg, © David Castor, WC, This image is in the public domain. */File:Ekollon.jpg
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KRISTYN
A must do in Newport! Fabulous trees and fabulous houses!!

by KRISTYN on Jun 10, 2011 at 08:12:04 pm

Gilded Age South Tree Walk Map


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newportarboretum
newportarboretum
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The Newport Arboretum is New England's first citywide arboretum! We hope you enjoy our Newport Tree...

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