It’s time to report on one of the specimen trees that I monitor here. This is the iconic weeping beech at Amen Farm and it appears robustly healthy:
I’m told that it was one of two planted in front of the house there about 1950, but that one had to be removed due to crowding. (Was that removal “tree-ahge” [triage]? Sorry.)
As tree-weeping goes, this beech’s grief must be inconsolable. Some might say it’s throwing a tantrum because it’s gotten a bad haircut, that upside-down flat-top pruning job. However, the tree has sported it for many years without apparent incident and many of us have gotten used to it.
As with most mature weeping beeches (Fagus sylvatica, 'Pendula'), this tree is wider than it is tall. My very rough estimate is that it is about 80-90 feet wide and 45-50 feet tall. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on July 12, 2024.)