An aerial view of the Maymont estate and its many trees (Photo courtesy Jared Campbell)
Centenarians are flourishing in Richmond. These living time capsules are scattered all across the region, but there’s one place in particular with a noteworthy collection of 100-year-old specimens — trees, that is — Maymont.
The historic estate’s arboretum contains more than 200 species, many of which were planted in the early 20th century by the property’s then-owners, James and Sallie Dooley.
When the Dooleys bought the estate, a former dairy farm, in 1886, its 100 acres were nearly bare thanks to the Civil War, when most of its trees were cut down for lumber. The couple had a blank canvas, and while they had no way of knowing it at the time, their tree collection would grow into an assemblage of 18 state champion trees and one national champion, the largest of their species in Virginia and the United States — at least for now. The status of champion trees is subject to change with the discovery of new trees and the loss of previous champions.
The arboretum reflects the Dooleys’ passion for horticulture and traveling. “What makes our collection so unique is that there are species from all over the world,” explains Sean Proietti, Maymont’s manager of horticulture. There you’ll find everything from the majestic North African blue atlas cedar, a popular backdrop for wedding photos, to the fragrant Chinese yulan magnolia.
The Dooleys planted their trees with an intriguing objective in mind, one that can’t fully be appreciated when just walking through the grounds. Proietti says that the concept of landscaping back then was different. “It was more about the view from the house to other places,” he says. Because of this, the Dooleys would position the trees so they’d be perfectly framed in certain interior windows. As they hosted parties, they could point out a particular tree and tell stories about it to their guests. This is why most of Maymont’s state champion trees, such as the Nordmann fir and golden larch, are situated as they are around the mansion. The couple also planted trees in wide-open spaces so they could eventually become massive specimen trees, those that are allowed to develop to their fullest potential.
Despite these trees being an important piece of Maymont’s history, little is known about them, mainly because the personal records documenting them were destroyed after the Dooleys died — a custom of the time. This hasn’t deterred Maymont’s staff, who formed the Woody Plant Collection Policy in 1998 to ensure that the landscape stayed true to how the couple intended it.
To understand the Dooleys’ intentions, Maymont staff and volunteers have searched through old newspapers, aerial photographs and even paintings to find clues. Thanks to their sleuthing, they discovered that some plants came from the Biltmore Nursery, connected to North Carolina’s historic Biltmore Estate.
They also learned that a Richmond News-Leader columnist known as “The Stroller” would often amble through Maymont’s grounds and write about the experience. After reading the writer’s May 11, 1935, column, they determined that there was once a labyrinth filled with spirea across from the front yard’s state champion trees — a feature they have since re-created. Two weeping cherries were also planted on the front lawn during the past season near the golden larch based on historical research.
The Darlington Oak (Photo by Rachel Kester)
Perhaps the most significant specimen on the estate is the Darlington Oak, which is a national champion and the largest of its kind in America. Situated near the Robins Nature Center, the striking tree is native to the grounds and is believed to have thrived for centuries thanks to its somewhat isolated location.
Maymont doesn’t measure the champion trees. That’s done by the father-son duo Stuart and Ben Blankenship, who venture through the park in search of the fantastic. Ben started measuring the trees in 2017. He discovered that many of these noteworthy species were undocumented and wanted to help increase awareness of them.
To accurately record their size, Blankenship relies on two pieces of equipment. “One is a 100-foot measuring tape to measure the circumference and the crown spread,” he explains. “For the height, I use a laser rangefinder, which is an electronic instrument that uses angles to measure the heights of objects.”
The trees are scored based on their height, crown and circumference. “The top three trees with the highest scores are listed in the Virginia Tech Big Tree database,” Blankenship notes. Proietti says Maymont staff members are often surprised to learn what the pair finds — such as the unassuming Japanese tree lilac near the Darlington Oak that is one of the largest of its kind in Virginia.
The estate’s champion tree designation ebbs and flows depending on the Big Tree requirements. Some of its previous honorees, such as the trifoliate orange, are no longer eligible because they are outside of a species’ rank. Occasionally, new trees are found, knocking out a current record holder. “Sometimes we used to have a state champion, but a bigger one was found elsewhere, so it changes, but it’s a friendly competition,” Proietti says.
Trees are so commonplace that even the most ardent nature lover can easily overlook their existence. But if you take time to truly observe them, you may discover colorful stories and a growing respect for their incredible diversity.
“I think trees that are remarkable for their size are special and a rarity,” Blankenship says. “A lot of people don’t realize just how old some of them are and therefore have a harder time appreciating them.”
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