by Mary Reid Barrow

Within just the last month, two new grand old trees, a water oak near Mount Trashmore and a southern magnolia in the Vibe District, are now on LRNow’s Notable Tree list.

Both were in backyards, said LRNow’s Notable Tree Manager Brent James. And both were great Notable Tree additions during the country’s 250th anniversary celebration.

“These trees wouldn’t have been discovered had they not been nominated by their owners,” Brent said. “I wouldn’t have found them in a million years!”

The water oak (Quercus nigra) is in a large back yard off of Edwin Drive, not too far from Mount Trashmore.

“It is over 90% the size of the State Champion Water Oak,” Brent said. “So, it’s a beauty.”

The six-year-old in the owner’s family named it “Old Glory,” he added, an appropriate name for a Notable Tree discovered in the summer of our 250th anniversary.

“It is approximately 260 years old, so it germinated 10 years before the Declaration of Independence,” he explained.

Don’t confuse water oaks with live oaks. Water oak leaves are not leathery and they are shaped like a water drop, thus its name, Brent added.

The southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) in the Vibe District also is about 260 years old and thus is another appropriate discovery during our 250th. The southern magnolia was once considered a native only as far north as North Carolina, but it has now established itself well into southern Virginia. So, this old tree, as a resident of the original Virginia Colony, certainly has the credentials!

The biggest trees and the most unusual trees are listed on LRNow’s Notable Tree list as Tier 1 and Special Category trees, Brent said. They are awarded a certificate and a small sign to identify it as a Virginia Beach Notable Tree.

“All Tier 2 trees will receive a certificate only,” he went on, “but your Tier 2 tree could very well ascend into Tier 1 status as you continue to protect it, and it grows more magnificent over the years!

“If you have a tree in your yard or neighborhood that looks oversized and old,” Brent continued. “Call me. I don’t mind going out to look at it and that’s the only way we are going to get backyard trees listed as  Notable Trees.

“You can find these trees in the strangest places!”

See LRNow’s website if you would like to learn more about the Notable Tree Program, email Brent or call the main office at 757-962-5398.

Find an interactive map of notable trees here: https://www.lynnhavenrivernow.org/blog/vb-notable-tree-program-tree-map/