The City of Norcross is planning for the future of our 300-year-old Elm tree in Betty Mauldin Park. This beautiful tree was designated as a Georgia Champion Tree in April 1999 by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The tree is estimated to have been growing since the early 1700s; the city was established in 1870, at least 150 years later. Amazingly, the tree survived the devastating Dutch Elm Disease, which killed most American Elms throughout North America in the early and mid-1900s.
The city has a proactive care program for the tree, including fertilization, treatments to prevent diseases, lightning protection and support cables and bracing for the massive limbs. Now the city, Green Reyno Nursery and SavATree have initiated a long-term project for the asexual propagation and production of genetic clones of the tree as a heritage endeavor for the Norcross community.
Propagation and production of cloned trees is a long-term project, possibly as long as five years before new trees are ready for planting. The process starts with the collection of cuttings from the tree, which was done several times in May and June this year; cuttings were taken early in the morning when the cells in the leaves and stems are most turgid, meaning holding the most water.
The cuttings were then transported, in coolers with wet sheets and ice packs, to the North Carolina propagation facility of Green Reyno Nursery, owned by Bill Reynierson. At the facility, the cuttings were transplanted into 50-cell, 5-inch-deep propagation trays with a rooting hormone and placed on growing tables. Mr. Reynierson has 10 propagation houses (17,000+ square feet) and a staff of four to monitor and manage his facility. Each propagation house has an automatic misting system to keep the leaves from drying out (7 seconds every 5 minutes depending on temperatures), along with circulation fans, louvers and exhaust fans.
So now what? Hopefully the cuttings will successfully root in the cells and be ready for transplanting to 3-gallon containers in Spring of 2022. As they are “grown out” in the 3-gallon containers, they will be monitored for health, growth habit and form, and vigorousness, and eventually moved to a growing farm.
We are at the very beginning of this project so the degree of success is unknown, but our goal is to continue the heritage of our Champion American Elm into the next tricentennial!