Troup County’s first heritage trees have been designated, including a mock orange tree bearing fruit that only a mule could love.

That’s the word from Bill and Ann Petry whose Liberty Hill farm boasts three of Troup County’s first 13 official heritage trees, including an Osage orange tree.

“It’s a beautiful tree that looks like a big, green brain,” said Ann Petry. “The only thing that will eat the fruit is a mule. The mock oranges are the size of large grapefruits; we have to be careful not to park under the trees when they’re dropping because they’ll put a dent in your car.”

Despite that, the orange trees are a beloved part of this north Troup County landscape that’s been cared for by the same family since 1858, the year the farmhouse was built and the orange trees planted. The Petrys nominated two orange trees for consideration but only one met the criteria to be among the first trees placed on the Troup County Heritage Tree Register, part of a new ordinance designed to protect trees of historic and cultural value.

“I wish that tree could talk, to help us know all that’s happened here,” said Ann Petry, adding, “There was an old saying that if you put mock oranges under your sink, you’d never have insects in the house, but that’s an old wives’ tale that didn’t work for us.”

While lore and legend give unreliable information, arborist Roy Matthews provided the couple with facts about their trees. Matthews is one of two arborists with whom the county contracts to evaluate trees nominated for heritage status. He and fellow arborist Sam Breyfogle consider size, species and historical significance when making their determinations.

Matthews was delighted to see the Osage oranges at Liberty Hill.

“Years ago, farmers used these trees for fence posts,” he said. “They’re hardy in this area, but you don’t see many. They’re a dense, distinctive hardwood and some of the hottest-burning firewood around.”

Heritage home, heritage trees

When Bill Petry heard about the Heritage Tree program, he found it a natural fit for his farm: “Our house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, and we thought it would be nice to have heritage trees to go with the heritage house.”

Love for the trees at Liberty Hill has dictated more than a few of his family’s actions, from operating a Christmas tree farm to modifying home plans.

“We built a pond below the house in 1976 and were going to build a cottage,” Bill Petry said. “But when they wanted to cut down the trees to get electricity to us, we said ‘No way,’ and that’s when we started renovating the old house.”

While reviewing the Osage oranges, Matthews spied other trees he felt would meet the heritage requirements. With permission from the Petrys, he evaluated a 120-foot-tall pecan tree and a massive red oak measuring 5-feet, 8-inches in diameter. Both qualified as heritage trees.

“That’s the largest Southern red oak tree I’ve seen in my career,” said Matthews, a certified arborist for 20 years, employed as Coweta County arborist. “It stands in the midst of a grove of trees that could very well also qualify as heritage trees.”

The Petrys welcomed Matthews to evaluate the other oaks.

“This is a wonderful program and I’m glad people are taking advantage of it,” said Ann Petry. “We have to take care of the trees we have and this program gives us a way to do that.”

Matthews also deemed as heritage an oak nominated by Lawton and Janalle Purvis. Located on Ga. 54, the swamp white oak stands 70 feet tall with a 45-foot canopy.

“That oak is gorgeous, a beautiful specimen tree,” Matthews said.

The fine details

Troup County’s arborists measure all accessible data when evaluating trees, including diameter, circumference of crown spread, height, GPS location, health and more. A copy of the detailed analysis is filed at the county and another given to the property owner.

County Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe, who had two trees deemed heritage, said he was “totally impressed with the thorough inspection and the amount of data provided” by arborist Sam Breyfogle, a professional forester for 25 years and owner of Wildland Management Services in LaGrange. Breyfogle estimated Wolfe’s willow oak and beech are both close to 200 years old.

“This was more of a scientific study than I’d envisioned and, to me, adds to the trees’ historic value,” said Wolfe, whose oak measured just less than 5 feet in diameter.

“The huge willow oak is magnificent in stature and assumed age,” Breyfogle said. “It and the beech probably were there when this part of the world was settled in the 1820s. The beech tree (on the banks of Long Cane Creek) is unique in that it is actually three trees with all the roots fused together. It has carvings too, which make it historic, but I don’t want to encourage carving.”

The arborists note two methods of determining a tree’s exact age: cutting it down to count the rings (which obviously defeats the purpose of protecting trees), or using high-tech equipment to bore through the trunk, another way of counting rings to determine age.

“We typically don’t bore trees because there is risk of damage,” said Breyfogle. “Instead, we use our professional judgment based upon knowledge gained by walking the woods and observing a tree’s size and stature in relation to other tress in similar conditions. Some trees grow slower than others because they don’t have as much water or fertile ground, so you can’t always tell age by size; age is relative to other trees in the same forest.”

Another 100 years

Six post oaks and a shagbark hickory at Oak Grove Congregational Church were deemed heritage trees due to their age, 120-140 years old, and size, 60-78 feet tall.

“This grove of trees is a gathering place where we’ve had everything from weddings to dinners-on-the-ground,” said Nancy Green, Oak Grove resident and co-chair of Troup TREEmendous, the committee charged with promoting the heritage tree program. “We want to protect these trees and having them listed as heritage provides another layer of protection.”

That they remain in good condition is a welcome surprise, considering the fact that topsoil was packed around the trunks decades ago, according to Breyfogle.

“Church members concerned about the lack of grass brought in topsoil,” he said. “Piling earth on top of the present grade reduces oxygen transfer to the roots which need oxygen to grow just as much as leaves do. Likewise, any time you drive or park under trees, the soil is compacted and the oxygen transfer reduced, making it unhealthy for trees.”

Due to the soil buildup and heavy use, the oaks’ full potential was reduced, according to Breyfogle who points out the paradox: “But they wouldn’t be as valuable if they had not been enjoyed. These are very thrifty trees that still have another hundred years in them.”

More nominations sought

“We are proud to have this first group of designated trees to place on the Troup County Heritage Tree Register,” said county planner Nancy Seegar, whose office oversees the heritage tree program. “We look forward to more property owners nominating their trees.”

To be considered heritage, a nominated tree or grove must have cultural or historic value, be located in unincorporated Troup County, be alive and healthy, not pose a threat to public safety, and not pose a threat of distributing invasive exotic seed or invasive exotic vegetative reproductive structures. The tree owner must agree to have the tree evaluated for heritage status.

— To nominate a tree, visit the Troup County Web site at www.troupcountyga.org, fill out the nomination form and email to nseegar@ troupco.org.