The earthly treasures of the Swannanoa Valley
An Earth Day exploration of our ‘Treasured Trees’
Fred McCormick
Columnist
The Valley Echo
April 22, 2021
A white oak standing Veterans Park is one of 44 Treasured Trees in the Swannanoa Valley. This tree is estimated to be around 150 years old. Photo by Fred McCormick
There are many things that contribute to the collective charm of the Swannanoa Valley. Some people are drawn to the old brick buildings of the quaint historical downtown, while others are drawn to the hospitality and relaxing atmosphere of a small town.
But it’s the natural splendor that’s summoned human beings here for thousands of years, since the first indigenous people began exploring its waterways and densely forested land. The comforting beauty of the surrounding mountains is undoubtedly awe-inspiring, but a growing number of trees are being recognized for their contributions to the character of the Valley.
As the world celebrates the 51st Earth Day, April 22, it’s a good time to highlight the Treasured Tree program from the Swannanoa Valley Tree Alliance.
The alliance is a collaboration between the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, the Black Mountain Urban Forestry Council and Asheville GreenWorks that is dedicated to bringing public awareness to the diversity, importance and sensitivity of the tree canopy. Its Treasured Trees initiative, launched in 2019, has already recognized 42 trees in the area with the designation.
If you walk, run, bike or drive around Black Mountain, you’ve probably seen one of these trees. I frequently pass a White Oak on Terry Estates Drive with an estimated diameter at breast height (DBH) of 49 inches. The tree, which sits on land once owned by the Dougherty family, is around 220 years old.
The Swannanoa Valley Tree Alliance, through its Treasured Trees program, increases awareness of the urban forest canopy by recognizing noteworthy specimens and area trees with historical ties. Photo by Fred McCormick
Another Treasured Tree that regularly catches my eye is the White Oak overlooking the back 9 of the disc golf course on the south side of Veterans Park. The tree has stood high atop that hill, in front of a breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains to the north, since 1870. Less than a mile south of here, nine trees, all more than a century old, can be found in the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, including an eastern hemlock that has stood on the property since around 1900.
Eighteen species are currently represented in the Treasured Trees program, including half a dozen subspecies of oak, tulip poplar, dawn redwood and others. Collectively, they offer a glimpse into the biodiversity of the Swannanoa Valley.
A white oak on Terry Estates Drive stands on land that has been in the Dougherty family for more than a century. Silas F. Dougherty was one of the first leaders of the Town of Black Mountain and the great-grandfather of the current owners of the property. The tree is estimated to have stood in this spot since 1800. Photo by Fred McCormick
Personally, I enjoy reading the plaques displaying the species and estimated age on the Treasured Trees around town. They make me feel a connection to these living things that have been here, silently watching the landscape around them change, for centuries.
The first time I encountered the massive American Sycamore in the parking lot of Swannanoa United Methodist Church on Whitson Avenue, I was in awe of its strength and beauty. I thought about what the area that is now downtown Swannanoa would have been like when this tree began to grow in the 1770s. That natural treasure has witnessed the complete transformation of the world around it in its lifetime.
An American Sycamore in Swannanoa, among the Swannanoa Valley Tree Alliance’s Treasured Trees, has been standing in its current location along Whitson Avenue since around 1770. Photo by Fred McCormick
The mission of Treasured Trees is to bring awareness to these valuable assets in our community and encourage good stewardship of our urban forest. Trees can be nominated as a specimen of distinctive size, age, beauty or of significant ecological value or for their connections to historical people, places or events.
One of the two American Sycamores designated Treasured Trees in the Swannanoa Valley is among the oldest on the current list. Photo by Fred McCormick
The SVTA awards certificates to the owners of the property on which the tree stands and attaches a specially designed plaque to the trunk. Treasured Trees receive access to certified arborists for future consultation once accepted. While the trees are not protected through the program, the plaques offer a way to communicate their significance to future land owners.
If Earth Day is a call to conserve our diminishing and valuable natural resources, the SVTA offers that opportunity year-round through Treasured Trees. The program will introduce a map marking the locations of all trees in the coming weeks, and nominations can be made any time at https://www.history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/treasuredtrees/.
In the meantime, I would suggest an activity that has been widely enjoyed by human beings since they first discovered this land so many of us love: go outside and explore the natural treasures of the Swannanoa Valley.