State Champion Camperdown Elm - Port Gamble, WA
N 47° 51.330 W 122° 35.000
10T E 531168 N 5300323
This exceptional tree is located in the historic town of Port Gamble in the southern part of town and just off State Route 104.
Waymark Code: WMG8AY
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2013
Views: 5
Visitors to the historic town of
Port Gamble are inundated with historical elements throughout the township. Almost every building in this town contains a historical marker that highlights the history of the occupants. Each marker stands out nicely on painted burgandy boards and gold lettering. If you happen to be visiting the
Port Gamble Historical Museum you might see a large historical marker in front of a tree along with other static displays. This marker reads:
State Champion Camperdown Elm
It was in 1640 that the "Earl of Camperdown" in Dundee Scotland noticed a branch growing on the floor of his elm forest. He grafted it to a Scotch elm tree and it took hold producing the first Camperdown Elm. The Scotch Elm is the only root mass the Camperdown Elm will grow on. The tree is a mutant and cannot self produce. Every Camperdown Elm tree in the world is part of the original and they must be grafted to a Scotch Elm tree to get started. When the graft starts to grow, the Scotch Elm branches are cut off leaving only Camperdown Elm. This magnificent tree depends on humankind to keep it alive as a species.
This Camperdown Elm is the new State Champion.
This tree was planted in 1875. It measures 20 ft. in height
with a 26 ft. crown and a 7 ft. circumerence.
Wikipedia also has a good writeup about the history of the Camperdown Elm. I find the 'mad scientist' approach to the creation of this tree very bizarre. This tree is basically a 'parasite' or 'mutant' and can only survive through human means.
Genus/Species: Camperdown Elm
Height: 20
Girth: 7
Method of obtaining height: Reliable source
Method of obtaining girth: Reliable source
Location type: Other public property
Age: 1875
Historical significance:
Every Camperdown Elm in the world is from a cutting taken from that original mutant cutting from Earl Campderdown's garden!
Planter: Planted in 1875.
Walk time: 1
Website reference: Not listed
Parking coordinates: Not Listed
Photograpy coordinates: Not Listed
|
Visit Instructions:
A closeup picture of your GPS receiver in your hand, with the tree in the background, is required. If the tree is on private property, this closeup photograph with the tree in the background may be taken from the nearest public vantage point without actually going to the tree.
The required photograph does not need to show the entire tree, but the individual tree must be recognizable.