What’s that tree?

Thanks for the efforts of seven girls in Bluffton Girl Scout Troop 20007 nearly 50 trees in the 20-year-old Village Arboretum are now identified. Gail Clingerman and Sarah Bergstrand are troop leaders who helped with the ambitious project.

A 34-page arboretum guide is attached at the bottom of this story -

Most residents might not even be aware of the arboretum’s existence. But, with the identification project completed, the awareness of the grove and the important part it plays in the community will become more evident over time.

The arboretum is located on Lake Street, directly north of the National Quarry. Put in context, the land is part of the abandoned Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad – of which the Mustard Seed Café was the railroad’s depot.

The tree collection includes several species of oak, spruce, maple, pine, elm and single trees including buckeye, horsechestnut, redbud, hackberry and several other familiar and not-so-familiar trees.

The completed identification project is a 34-page descriptive attachment at the bottom of this story.

It includes a map of the arboretum with each tree numbered and identified. Troop members divided up the trees and put together a one-page description of each.

The description includes such things as:
• Common tree name,
• Scientific tree name,
• Tree uses,
• Tree description and
• Whether it is native to Ohio.

The tree grove provides an opportunity for residents to have memorial trees planted in memory of someone. Two such trees exist; one in memory of Ann Hilty and another in memory of Phil Kingsley. The two were members of the Bluffton Tree Commission.

In addition to being archived on the Bluffton Icon, the arboretum directory is also available at the Bluffton Public Library, Bluffton town hall and Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce.