For this month’s column, I’m shifting my gaze upward, to the town’s leafy canopy – our largest communal “garden gem.” To gain insight into how this asset is cared for, I met with Belmont’s new Tree Warden, Will McPhee, who started the part-time position May 19, and with longtime Shade Tree Committee member Lucia Gates. McPhee studied horticultural science at Minuteman Regional High and recently earned a master’s in forestry at the University of Maine. Internships with the Boothbay Regional Land Trust and the city of Bangor turned his interests to the challenges and rewards of managing an urban forest matrix like Belmont’s. I met him at the Ruth Ippen Tree Walk on the southwest side of Clay Pit Pond, which was established in 1971 and has been revitalized in the last decade by the Belmont Garden Club, with a donation of eight new saplings.
McPhee looks forward to the collaborative nature of his position—he will work with many entities in addition to the Shade Tree Committee, including the Conservation Commission, the Board of Cemetery Commissioners, the Community Path Project Committee, and, of course, the Department of Public Works. One of his largest concerns will be Belmont’s many street trees. He will work with DPW and contracted arborists to maintain aging trees, remove diseased or dangerous trees, choose replacement species, plant, water, and prune.
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The thinking behind what makes a suitable street tree has made several large shifts over the last century. Early on, there was great appeal in planting trees from other continents, mimicking the efforts of places like the Arnold Arboretum and Mt. Auburn Cemetery to showcase the unusual and exotic. Many of these plantings failed. Craving more stability, towns like Belmont jumped aboard the “monoculture movement” next, concentrating on just a few tried-and-true species. Green ash and Norway maple trees were two such favorites. But by placing bets on a limited number of species, Belmont concentrated its risk. Norway maples proved short-lived—many in town are nearing the end of their lifespan—and also seeded prolifically and invaded forests. Meanwhile, nearly all the ash became infested by the emerald ash borer beetle, incurring large costs to prune dead branches and replace dead trees. The current movement is aimed at trying to correct past mistakes. McPhee plans to prioritize tree health and longevity, environmental suitability, and biodiversity.
“Native, climate-resilient species are less prone to widespread tree pests and pathogens,” he said.
The effort to replace existing trees with native species will take decades, however.
“To maintain and maximize the canopy cover around town, we are only removing and replacing trees when they need to be. So, we aren’t going to take a perfectly healthy Norway maple,” McPhee said.
If a tree is removed, it will be replaced “in due time, following some grinding and an assessment of the site.”
McPhee will have help. The Shade Tree Committee was established in 1983 and, according to McPhee, “acts as kind of the eyes and the ears around town to help with decision-making relating to trees.” The committee also studies the assets we have and makes the information easily accessible. To find out which species populate your neighborhood street, or any public way, you can search an interactive map at belmontma.treekeepersoftware.com, the result of a 2022 inventory that documented more than 8,000 town trees (not including trees on conservation land). McPhee notes that the estimated value of these trees is $17.3 million and that they collectively sequester 2,000 tons of carbon. The tree inventory is continually updated by DPW administrative staff.
In early 2024, after extensive research, the committee published a list of go-to tree species to help inform not only the Tree Warden but homeowners, landscapers, and contractors about trees that are most appropriate for our climate and ecosystem.
All are native to the United States, and most are native to Massachusetts. The list also includes characteristics like height and spread, ecosystem benefits, soil and sun requirements, and suitability for streetside planting. Some of these species are well-known street trees already: for example, red oak, honey locust, and American linden. Other trees are up-and-comers that the committee hopes will get more consideration, including white swamp oak, shagbark hickory, and a couple of American elm cultivars that are resistant to Dutch elm disease. Some of the trees on the list are not appropriate for the street—because they have, for example, a sprawling habit, shallow roots, or messy fruits—but they can excel in the right spot in parks, cemeteries, and private lots: Carolina silverbell, eastern red cedar, sweetbay magnolia, and eastern white pine are a few. Anyone can view the spreadsheet (which also lists preferred shrubs) by searching on “preferred trees” at the town’s website.
To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, the town’s Tree Warden and Shade Tree Committee “speak for the trees.” We are lucky to have such a dedicated team working for us.
Jenny has been gardening in Belmont since 2001 and became a member of the Belmont Garden Club in 2019. From 2010 to 2013, she was the volunteer editor for the Belmont Farmers’ Market newsletter, Roots & Sprouts.