National Grove of State Trees
Encyclopedia
The National Grove of State Trees is an attraction at the United States National Arboretum
. The grove
s are planted on 30 acres (120,000 m²) of rolling terrain celebrate the diversity and importance of tree
s to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Each state
is represented by a loosely arranged grove of several trees that are spaced widely enough to accommodate their mature dimensions.
Bald cypress that might be found in a Louisiana swamp
grow just a short walk from pines and birches that grow in New England
forests; young redwoods from California
grow near cottonwoods that might grow in riverside forests in the otherwise treeless Great Plains
States.
Most states adopted their state trees in the period following unprecedented industrial and agricultural
expansion in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Entire forests were stripped during this period for building materials, fuel wood, and to clear land for crops and livestock
. Along with grassroots concerns about preservation of forests and trees came a natural pride in a part of the local flora, and the concept of a state tree was born.
Although the mid Atlantic region of the United States
has mild weather which allows the USDA
to grow most of the species designated by the various states as their arboreal emblems, it cannot successfully grow a few of the state trees such as the cabbage palmetto, which is the state tree of both Florida
and South Carolina
, or the kukui, which is Hawaii
's state tree.
Substitutes have been made for these species so the arboretum could have a tree that is important in each of the states. Planting was undertaken in 1989 with the National Association of State Foresters
, the American Forest Foundation, the USDA Forest Service, and the U.S. National Arboretum joining forces to create the Grove of State Trees.
The centerpiece of the collection is the portal adjacent to the M Street Parking Lot in Washington, D.C. A wooden entrance arbor is dedicated to the memory of Jeanne Yeutter, wife of former Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter, whose sponsorship of the project helped the concept of a Grove of State Trees to be realized. The inscription on the arbor reads "In Celebration of Jeanne Yeutter's Love of Trees". The arbor leads to a large plaza with a flagstone star and a wall adorned with pottery tiles designed and fabricated by Liza Bach, a Tennessee
crafter. Each tile is individually cast with the name of each state and a raised image of the foliage of the state tree.
Although a complete trail system is planned to link all the individual plantings of state trees, as of 2004, only a small portion of the trail is complete, and most of the collection is not accessible to the handicapped.
United States National Arboretum
The United States National Arboretum is an arboretum in Washington, D.C., operated by the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service as a division of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center...
. The grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
s are planted on 30 acres (120,000 m²) of rolling terrain celebrate the diversity and importance of tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Each state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
is represented by a loosely arranged grove of several trees that are spaced widely enough to accommodate their mature dimensions.
Bald cypress that might be found in a Louisiana swamp
Louisiana swamplands
There are many swamps in Louisiana. For an example, Martin Lake is one of them. Swamplands are no more than just marshes with many different kinds of shrubs and trees. Louisiana Swamplands, though, have many different kinds of animals, including the American Alligator and the American Black...
grow just a short walk from pines and birches that grow in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
forests; young redwoods from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
grow near cottonwoods that might grow in riverside forests in the otherwise treeless Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
States.
Most states adopted their state trees in the period following unprecedented industrial and agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
expansion in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Entire forests were stripped during this period for building materials, fuel wood, and to clear land for crops and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. Along with grassroots concerns about preservation of forests and trees came a natural pride in a part of the local flora, and the concept of a state tree was born.
Although the mid Atlantic region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has mild weather which allows the USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
to grow most of the species designated by the various states as their arboreal emblems, it cannot successfully grow a few of the state trees such as the cabbage palmetto, which is the state tree of both Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, or the kukui, which is Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
's state tree.
Substitutes have been made for these species so the arboretum could have a tree that is important in each of the states. Planting was undertaken in 1989 with the National Association of State Foresters
National Association of State Foresters
The National Association of State Foresters is a non-profit organization that represents the directors of all 50 State Forestry agencies, the eight United States territories, and the District of Columbia...
, the American Forest Foundation, the USDA Forest Service, and the U.S. National Arboretum joining forces to create the Grove of State Trees.
The centerpiece of the collection is the portal adjacent to the M Street Parking Lot in Washington, D.C. A wooden entrance arbor is dedicated to the memory of Jeanne Yeutter, wife of former Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter, whose sponsorship of the project helped the concept of a Grove of State Trees to be realized. The inscription on the arbor reads "In Celebration of Jeanne Yeutter's Love of Trees". The arbor leads to a large plaza with a flagstone star and a wall adorned with pottery tiles designed and fabricated by Liza Bach, a Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
crafter. Each tile is individually cast with the name of each state and a raised image of the foliage of the state tree.
Although a complete trail system is planned to link all the individual plantings of state trees, as of 2004, only a small portion of the trail is complete, and most of the collection is not accessible to the handicapped.