Largess Foestry recently completed an 'Arboretum Inventory' report for Newport, RI resident Angus Davis. Davis' property consists of a private residential arboretum containing 28 species of trees and woody shrubs from 16 families. The majority of the trees are quite notable and of European or Asian origin and are commonly found in English Gardens. The more mature trees were likely planted after the house was built in 1854. Some of the notable trees include a fernleaf European Beech (fagus sylvatica "Asplenifolia'), American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), Drooping Juniper (Juniperus recurva), and a Purpleleaf cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). This private arboretum has one of the largest collections of Turkey Oaks (Quercus laevis) in North America.
What we did...
All significant trees on the property were inventoried and an aluminum number tag was installed to identify each tree in the private arboretum. Once a tag was installed, the trees' species and cultivar, and dimensions were measured and recorded. After dimensions were taken, the trees were inspected for health and defects, and lastly a geospatial reference point was taken with a GPS unit. The addition of the tree tags and the inventory was foundational to making this private residence an official historical arboretum, adding to the many beautiful tree landscapes of Newport's Guilded Age Forest.
A special thanks to Peter Largess and Fern Graves for spearheading and completing this project. Pete Largess grew up climbing trees and is a master of arboriculture. Fern also brings a wealth of expertise with a Bachelor's degree in Forestry and a Master's degree in Entomology. We are grateful they are a part of the Largess Forestry Team.
Photos of this private arboretum are below, click on the photos for a detailed description. Please contact us if you would like to work with us on unique projects and custom reports for your home and your landscape. Check out our custom reports page for more information.
"From historic Gilded Age landscapes still in cultivation today, to handwritten records of colonial-era hothouses that help specimens from all over the globe, Newport, Rhode Island is truly a living museum of American horticulture and landscape architecture. From its earliest days, Newport was a city of tree collectors and amateur botanists who reveled in the exploration of the planted world. In fact, at the turn of the last century, Newport's collection of rare specimen trees was purported to rival that of Boston's Arnold Arboretum."
- Newport Arboretum Week 2016
