The John Bruce Park Plains Cottonwood was the largest known tree in Winnipeg. But, this spring, the giant finally split apart and had to be removed.
The cottonwood held its own by the banks of the Seine River for nearly 130 years, as far as I can determine. Native plains cottonwood trees are fast-growing, but this cottonwood was middle-aged for a tree of this size. (Many large oaks, elms and ashes growing near the city's rivers can be well over 200 years in age.)
This massive cottonwood was located just north of the Seine River bridge crossing at the end of the John Bruce Road section that starts at St. Anne's Road. It was truly a heritage tree, and I was fortunate to have measured it in 2008. The photo of the tree dates to the same year.
The tree consisted of three trunks that naturally split from the main trunk about 50 cm (20 in.) above ground. At its base, the tree measured about four metres (13 ft.) in diameter or 12.6 m (40.8 ft.) in circumference. Each trunk, at about 1.4 m (4.5 ft.) above ground, was a minimum of one metre (39 in.) in diameter with the largest at 1.2 m (47 in.).
This giant soared to a height of 32 m (105 ft.). The widest part of its crown spread east to west was 36 m (118 ft.), and 29 m (104 ft.) from north to south.
All that remains of the tree are the three giant stumps pulled apart at their junction with each other.
Winnipeg has many very large plains cottonwoods along its rivers. The largest cluster of old cottonwoods by far are those extending along the west side of the Red River in the vicinity of McBeth Park in West Kildonan.
Trees Winnipeg (formerly the Coalition to Save the Elms) and the Manitoba Forestry Association have embarked on a program to update the heritage-tree inventory in Winnipeg and Manitoba. For more information about heritage-tree programs, go to:
Trees Winnipeg website at http://www.savetheelms.mb.ca/ or call 832-7188; Manitoba Forestry Association website at http://www.thinktrees.org/Contact.aspx or call 453-3182.
These websites are still under development but, if you know of any significant tree or groves, you can call these organizations to nominate these trees.
Michael Allen is a consulting urban forester, certified I.S.A. arborist and owner of Viburnum Tree Experts. He makes house and garden visits to assess tree and shrub problems. He can be contacted by calling 831-6503 or by e-mail at viburnumtrees@shaw.ca You can also mail questions to Michael Allen, c/o Newsroom, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. His website is www.treeexperts.mb.ca
