The Silver Maple of Crieff Hills
Why the fuss about ancient trees? For me, the answer lies in their genetics and their gifts to their offspring. In long-lived trees such as maple, oaks, beech, and hickory, longevity is a desirable genetic trait. The longevity of these trees shows adaptability to a changing world. An ability to adapt to changing weather and climate, degrading air quality (air pollution), and soil pollutants such as roadside salts.
This particular silver maple was on a 300-acre farm purchased by Colonel J B McLean of the present-day McLean publications. Even by 1930, Colonel McLean could see that most of this area had been clear cut and, ‘the land was devoid of most songbirds.’ Somehow the silver maple was spared the ax and grew to its massive size beside the historic stone barn.
It was a thrill to see, this spring, the silver maple loaded with monstrous amounts of maple keys. Today, we are germinating approximately 200 seedlings from this ancient tree. And her genetics will live on.