Cemetery Trees

[Cruiser]

Cemeteries can be good places to see old/interesting trees and study their forms.
The trees are usually well-cared for, face little to no competition for light, and are unlikely to get removed.



Tulip tree
75.7” diameter
129.7’ total height
97’ canopy width

Stout base divides into multiple trunks at a low height.
Secondary trunks mostly grow upwards rather than out. Columnar. Long and relatively straight around interior. Some waviness around edges.
Centralized visual mass.
Tree is taller than it is wide.



A baby is buried at the base of this mighty tree. His name was Lloyd and he died in 1911.
Rest in peace, little one.



Birch

Singular trunk. Thin, graceful. Sometimes curvaceous. Short lateral or bowed primary branches. Secondary branches may arc upwards. Weeping ends.



Chestnut
75.35” diameter
112.7’ total height
112’ canopy spread



A martini glass.
Stout base divides into 6 outward growing trunks. Creates inverse taper greater-than or equal to width of nebari.
Secondary trunks obtusely angled, somewhat straight, and similar in length. Longer than main trunk.
Overall tree height equals width.





Yew
Two primary trunks 29.6” and 20.6”.
35.4’ total height


Multi-top canopy. Spreading.
Trunk resembles muscle tissue, sinewy. Beef jerky. Unusual textures. Wrinkled fabric in some places. Spiraling on branches looks like wire bite. Bark exfoliating, bright red underneath brown, copper, and maroon flakes. Color more vibrant when wet, is paler pink-grey-brown when dry.
Equal parts unusual, gross, and pretty.

 

[Cruiser]

Elm
60.25” diameter
93.9’ total height
93’ canopy width

A lot of rot. (Maybe Dutch Elm Disease)
Creates large uros and other cavities. Tree continues to sprout even from very old wood.
Branching ascendant, graceful. Overall tree height equals width.





American chestnuts
(Left) 82.5” diameter. Divides just above dbh into two trunks 57” and 43.7”
82.8’ height
(Right) 72.5” diameter
95.6’ height

Main trunk divides low into multiple large secondary trunks. Causes inverse taper.
Secondary trunks are longer than main trunk. Obtusely angled up and outwards. Straight or wavy growth lines.




Dawn redwood
39.1” diameter
66.4’ height

Highly tapered singular trunk. Formal upright.
Lower trunk thickens so quickly it begins to roll over its own branches. Creates “wakes” below branches. Eventually leaving bulges and dips in trunk.
Bark peely, stripping. Spongy.
Branches extend laterally and upwards leading to flame shape.

 

[vp999]

I guessed we can say that they are all well fertilized lol.

 

[Cruiser]

I was wondering about that.
Aren’t most bodies preserved with chemicals before going into coffins? Wonder if it affects the ability of them to decompose into useable nutrients for the trees.

 

[ShadyStump]

This was actually a BIG source of contention when my older brother died. We had him cremated and were going to plant a tree with the ashes, but some in the family were so convinced the ashes would be toxic somehow that, well, we never even got around to a proper service much less burial.

Poor Lloyd in the first post is likely quite fertile now days, as is anyone who had a closed casket funeral. Open caskets, however, require a pretty body, so those are the ones embalmed.
Also, for the past half century at least most places have requirements to bury them inside cement liners to prevent escaping decomposing matter.
I think it's mostly fear of people particles finding their way into the drinking water, but the reality is that, aside from embalming chemicals, there's nothing in a person that's not in an animal.

 

[Michael P]

Thanks for an interesting study.

 

[Srt8madness]

Very cool pics and descriptions!

 

[Cruiser]

This was actually a BIG source of contention when my older brother died. We had him cremated and were going to plant a tree with the ashes, but some in the family were so convinced the ashes would be toxic somehow that, well, we never even got around to a proper service much less burial.

Poor Lloyd in the first post is likely quite fertile now days, as is anyone who had a closed casket funeral. Open caskets, however, require a pretty body, so those are the ones embalmed.
Also, for the past half century at least most places have requirements to bury them inside cement liners to prevent escaping decomposing matter.
I think it's mostly fear of people particles finding their way into the drinking water, but the reality is that, aside from embalming chemicals, there's nothing in a person that's not in an animal.

Sorry to hear about your brother’s situation, especially if those were his wishes.

I jokingly suggested to the wife that my body gets chopped up and fed to my trees when I go. She looked concerned.
Maybe just bury me in a forest somewhere instead.

 

[ShadyStump]

Yeah, I've told everyone to donate my body to science. I'm done with it.
If they want to do something sentimental they can do like I said before, plant a tree with my ashes.

My brother actually never once said anything about his wishes after he died. He kinda refused to accept his mortality. The tree thing was my idea because it seemed appropriate for him. Everyone agreed until it came time to actually do it.
I actually just brought it up to illustrate how the very idea of what to do with people's remains can be a highly controversial thing.