Sarah Beth Ariemma
The Union-Recorder
MILLEDGEVILLE —
Flannery O’Connor’s Andalusia has another star to add to its list: a Georgia Champion Sugarberry tree. Marion Robinson, a volunteer at Andalusia and avid nature-lover, pursued the tree’s history and measurements in her quest to have the tree deemed a Champion tree.
“I came out to a program where Jack Nesbitt gave a public nature trail walk. He’s from Washington State, and Dr. Devort invited him to give the walk,” Robinson said. “We hiked up the trail and looked at the tree and exclaimed over it. I enjoyed the walk so much that Craig Amason gave me some room to find out if the tree was large enough to be considered for an award, and I give my own nature walks now.”
Assisting Andalusia’s Craig Amason and Marion Robinson in their desire to further the tree’s fame was Eric Mosley, a member of the Georgia Forestry Commission. Mosley manages Milledgeville’s Bartram Forest.
“Marion invited me out to look at the tree and find out if it could be a contender for a Champion tree,” Mosley said. “There is a specific point system that a tree’s measurements are calculated and processed, and this determines a Champion tree.”
To be eligible for the Champion Tree program, as deemed by the Georgia Forestry Commission, the tree “must have an erect woody perennial stem, or trunk, at least 9.5 inches in circumference measured 4.5 feet from the ground, with a definitely formed crown of foliage, and be at least 13 feet in total height.”
The Sugarberry tree’s measurements are as follows: The circumference at 4.5 feet is 176 inches. The total vertical height is 92 feet. The average diameter of crown spread is 81 feet. And the tree’s overall score is 288, which took into account the circumference plus the height and crown, divided by four.
In past years, any tree species was accepted into the Champion tree program. Currently, no invasive species or alien trees to Georgia are being accepted into the program. The Sugarberry tree is native to Georgia, which makes the species and the tree at Andalusia a perfect candidate for Champion tree status.
When all of the measurements have been tabulated, the point system is utilized to determine if the tree in question can be considered a Champion. Currently, Baldwin County has five Champion trees. All of these trees reside on private property, including the tree at Andalusia.
Craig Amason, executive director of The Flannery O’Connor-Andalusia Foundation Inc., was overjoyed with the tree’s new status and intends to heed Mosley’s advice to allow the tree to grow even larger.
“Mosley’s recommendation for the Sugarberry tree to grow even larger is to cut down some of the surrounding trees in the Sugarberry’s area in order to help the crown of the tree expand. It is something we will definitely be considering,” Amason said.
The Sugarberry tree is more than 100 years old, making it older than the other famous former resident at Andalusia: Flannery O’Connor. The tree was in existence while she lived and wrote on the farm. One of the easiest ways to recognize a Sugarberry tree is by its unusual bark. The bark is gray and sports wart-like bumps. The wood is used for furniture, athletic goods, crates and plywood. While the tree is not particularly prized for exceptional fruit or beautiful wood, the sheer size of the tree at Andalusia is something to witness.
“It’s a beautiful specimen,” Robinson said, “and it’s definitely worth coming out to see.”
