Trees and Shrubs

Hemlock Trees

Hemlock trees are plentiful at Carl Sandburg Home and are an important part of the landscape. Hemlocks line the drive that leads from the visitor entrance area to the Sandburg home. They are an important component of the forest around the Front Lake and behind the home and provide cooling shade and dense cover for forest plants and animals alike. There are two species of hemlock, both native, on the property: Eastern Hemlock and Carolina Hemlock. Many of these trees occur naturally, but those along the drive were planted by the Sandburgs half a century ago!

Hemlocks in the eastern United States are threatened by an exotic insect pest called Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is a tiny aphid-like insect with a big appetite; an appetite big enough to potentially wipe out the Eastern and Carolina Hemlock! This bug is literally sucking the life out of hemlocks as it feeds on the plant’s juices. It has devastated hemlock forests from southeast Maine to northeast Georgia and west to eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, leaving in its wake a barren landscape where lush green hemlocks once shaded cool mountain streams teeming with trout and other temperature-sensitive fish. Foresters warn that if affective controls are not determined and applied, the outcome of this infestation may be as disastrous as that of the chestnut blight which eliminated American chestnut from eastern forests.

Carl Sandburg Home protects their hemlocks by treating them with a systemic insecticide. The chemical is injected into the soil at the base of the tree, taken up by the roots, and distributed throughout the tree. As the insects feed on the tree, they ingest the insecticide and die. The hemlocks are responding well to the treatment.

 

Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)

Chestnut oak trees are one of two species that dominate the 245-acres of the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. This species typically grows on dry, rocky ridges and upland slopes, where its thick bark and strong root system help it withstand harsh conditions. While it grows in various areas around the eastern United States, it grow best in the mountainous regions of Tennessee and the Carolinas. These trees traditionally grow to be between 60 and 70 feet in height, though in more densely wooded areas and optimal conditions, they can grow to be 100 feet tall. The acorns of chestnut oak, along with those of the other oaks, are an important food for many wildlife species including deer, turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks, and mice.

 

White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Native to eastern North America, the white pine is a fast growing evergreen tree. It has triangular shaped foliage, that spreads out into wide tiers as the tree ages and grows. White pines have a long lifespan, ranging anywhere from 100-300 years in age. The foliage on teh white pine are blue-green needles that are arranged in bundles of 5 (a distinct feature of this tree). This tree also produces pine cones, 4-6 inches in length. Because white pines grow straight and tall, they were historically prized for ship masts, and today they remain valued as both a landscape tree and an important species in forest ecosystems. The white pine provides habitat and food for various animals including squirrels, birds, butterflies and other pollinators.