For three centuries, one gnarled old tree has stood guard over the people of Marblehead. It watched as local men marched off to cross the Delaware River and build a new nation. It provided shade as fishermen worked to grow their town from a tiny fishing village into a bustling suburb. Through endless change, hardship and growth, countless generations of Marbleheaders have lived and died under its presence.
At about 60 feet tall, with a 7-foot wide base, this tree still stands tall at 5 Pond St., watching over and giving shade to another generation of Marbleheaders.
Jim Kelliher, an arborist who has been taking care of Marblehead trees for more than 30 years, believes this tree is the oldest in all of Marblehead.
“I’d say that this tree is a few centuries old,” Kelliher said. He approached and reverently placed his hand on the thick trunk, as if he was feeling for a wooden pulse, or trying to connect to its ancient past.
Kelliher explained how he could tell its relative age through visual inspection. Looking at the extent of stress growth — which occurs in the trunks of old trees — can help arborists determine the approximate age.
“We can tell the age from the tree’s stress growth and the diameter,” he explained. “A tree will tell you its whole life story if you’re looking at it.”
The distinctive markings on the trunk tell the story of decades of adaptation and survival.
“You can see all of these gnarled ridges on the tree trunk, that’s called stress response growth,” Kelliher explained. “It happens when the tree grows to manage weight and stress over time.”
Due to its advanced age, this tree has lots of stress growth, giving it a gnarled and ancient appearance. The asymmetrical development reflects the tree’s long battle with natural forces.
While Kelliher can determine the approximate age of the tree from its appearance, it’s not possible to find out the exact date when it was planted without a boring test, which would drill into the tree trunk to discover the exact age.
The white mulberry tree species originated in China and was often cultivated to feed silkworms in the commercial production of silk. Cultivation of the white mulberry tree began about 4,700 years ago. They are known for their sweet and edible berries, which have been used to make jam and wine. The bark and leaves of the tree have also frequently been used for medicinal purposes. The seed that sprouted this tree was likely brought by a boat from England in the early 1700s.
The white mulberry tree has a relatively short lifespan compared to other species of trees. They usually live for less than a century, but can survive for much longer in the right conditions.
“These trees are only supposed to live for decades, but this tree is a few centuries old,” Kelliher said.
The white mulberry tree is also very fast growing and usually can grow about 5 feet per year in its youth. However, this growth slows down with age.
Despite the tree’s advanced age and its ancient appearance, Kelliher says it’s still relatively healthy. The tree shows signs of continued vitality despite its centuries-long existence.
“If you see these bulges and columns like these in the trunk, that means that there’s growth inside the tree,” he said, pointing at spots along the tree’s base.
The tree also helps itself survive by “entrenching,” or dropping unnecessary branches when it becomes too big and unsustainable. This helps it preserve energy and stay alive.
“It’s like self pruning,” Kelliher said.
Passersby can spot the white mulberry tree from the street and take pride in the fact that the same tree that witnessed the birth of the nation still watches over the town today.
