What is a Charlotte Treasure Tree? And where to find 10 of them
Hidden in plain sight, over 100 white diamonds dot Charlotte’s in-town landscape. It’s the ultimate local treasure hunt, but the map to find them has long been lost. If you’re lucky enough to find one, you’re sure to get your hands on something priceless — an exemplary tree.
Sometime in the late 1980s, the Treasure Tree program launched with a mission to tag trees with ecological (and later historical) significance in Mecklenburg County. The rules were simple: to recognize up to three trees per species based on size, whether the largest of their type in the county or within 80 percent the size of the state champion.
Through 2002, selected trees were each adorned with a white diamond to denote their status. In a city that where I remember people once talking about naming their NBA team the Charlotte Trees, it was a source of great civic pride.
At its peak, Charlotte’s Treasure Tree program held an annual black-tie gala to commemorate each tree and the landowners who cared for them.
In all, 123 trees received the designation.
In the 16 years since the program shuttered, it has faded into obscurity. However, some of the white tags persist, clinging tenuously to some superlative trees and beckoning for a second look.
From the ashes of the Treasure Tree program has risen the Queen’s Crown, a small organization with a mission to re-invigorate Charlotteans’ love for trees. Started by Patrick George of Heartwood Tree Service, the Queen’s Crown has defined 30 of the Treasure Trees in its database as well as 15 additional trees.
There is little community involvement to help drive the Queen’s Crown. There is no committee. No gala. Just a love for trees and a man with a passion to make his community better. Having grown up in Charlotte, George has seen all too many trees, including Treasure Trees, come down.
“What I want is for our local community to attach value to the local trees,” says George, his voice crisp and earnest. “Once people see our canopy as an extension of the community, of their family, they begin to make better decisions about how to care for their trees.”
And seeing a sampling of Charlotte’s Treasure Trees is, in George’s opinion, one of the best ways to start this journey. And he would know. He is likely one of very few people who have seen most of them, thanks to a gift by a former resident, who passed much of the Treasure Tree documentation to George before moving from Charlotte.
A curated list of Charlotte’s Treasure Trees
Starting at the Duke Mansion and ending at Winghaven, you’ll take a 2-mile walk and experience 10 extraordinary trees.
Duke Mansion Tulip Poplar (400 Hermitage Rd.): Up the driveway leading to the house, you’ll encounter a tree so wide you’d expect it to be a Sequoia. The branches of this monster are bigger than most of the oaks in the neighborhoods surrounding it.
Duke Mansion Eastern Red Cedar (400 Hermitage Rd.): Just past the Tulip Poplar on the right side of the driveway to the front door of the Inn, you’ll spot this tree. Once called the Graveyard Tree, it was said that if you planted this tree at your birth, by the time you die, it will just be large enough to shade your grave. Given the height and breadth of this tree, it must be very, very old. (See if you can spot a Treasure Tree tag here.)
Bigleaf Magnolia (531 Hermitage Rd): Located across the street from 530 Hermitage, look for a smooth-barked tree of moderate size with leaves anywhere from 2-3 feet long. This tree is the jewel in our crown, given its rarity and superlatives (largest native leaf/flower of any tree). A Gastonia native with a very limited range, Napoleon’s Josephine demanded this tree be found and brought back to Versailles to be planted.
Queens University Gingko (1830 Queens Rd.): A relic of the age of dinosaurs, the Gingko here is massive. Look for the fan-shaped leaves to identify this beauty. To really experience this tree is to see it in the fall. The leaves turn a French’s Mustard yellow and fall within 48 hours, carpeting the ground beneath and leaving a denuded tree above. (See if you can spot a Treasure Tree tag here.)
Queens University Basswood (1830 Queens Rd.): A less common tree, especially in a town where Willow Oaks dominate, find it just behind the Gingko on the Radcliffe side of the property. Thomas Jefferson preferred this tree, planting many that remain at Monticello. It’s the chosen street tree of downtown Winston-Salem.
Glossy Privet (2001 Queens Rd. E): Looking at the front door, this medium-sized tree hugs the left side of the house and is easily overlooked given the size of many other trees on this list. A North Carolina State Champion tree. and a great little secret.
Deodar Cedar (2701 Briarcliff Pl.): This is my favorite tree. It’s easy to find, just look up. A non-native tree related to the biblical Lebanese Cedar, it’s a North Carolina State Champion. Its co-champion, once located on Sherwood near Queens Rd. W, was removed in the last decade. (See if you can spot a Treasure Tree tag here.)
Japanese Zelkova (2735 Bucknell Ave): Looking at the home, this medium-sized tree sits to the right of the front door. Zelkova’s aren’t native but are often planted as street trees (been to Asheville lately?) or in parking lots. They don’t often get this big– A North Carolina State Champion tree.
Pecan (212 Ridgewood Ave): Maybe one of the worst teases on this list, this massive Pecan sits in the backyard of this home and peaks out at you over the roof. It’s hard to experience its majesty from this distance.
Winghaven Chaste Tree (248 Ridgewood Ave.): No directions to this tree, instead, find it for yourself. Tour the Winghaven Gardens and take it all in. See the difference that trees have made to this once-private home and garden. Experience the massive Tulip Poplar and seek out the National Champion Chaste Tree.
This story was originally published September 27, 2018 at 2:00 AM with the headline "What is a Charlotte Treasure Tree? And where to find 10 of them."