LETTERS FROM LOCKERLY: ‘See-dar’ you later, red cedar

Published 11:47 am Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Wood is one of those unique materials that can be both old and modern, strong yet soft, timeless yet finite. It is used for both practical fences and elaborate art made from the statuesque trees that surround us. The trees clean the air we breathe, provide us with sweet fruit, and shade us from the hot sun. Whenever I walk around Lockerly, I marvel at the size of some of the trees. Many are so large I can’t get my arms around them. They have been there for generations and will hopefully be there when I am but a distant memory.

In the Woods Museum at Lockerly (If you haven’t been yet, you really should), there is a large cross-section of bald spruce that germinated one hundred years before the birth of the United States. By studying the rings of a tree, scientists can glean information about climate conditions, natural disasters, and even aid in understanding the historical movement of people in the area. By counting the rings on the stump in the museum, they have identified the years when various historic events occurred. It is a U.S. History course, all wrapped up in a single slice of a tree.

This spring, we had to cut down one of the Eastern Red Cedars from the front of Rose Hill. As you can imagine, these decisions are not ever taken lightly by our staff. This beautiful tree had a large cavity at the base, and as a consequence, if it were to fall, it was in danger of hitting Rose Hill, the Smokehouse, or the adjacent trees. We had to cut it down.

Based on this tree’s size, we believe it was planted at the time of Rose Hills construction. It appears there was a ring of cedars that framed the original circular driveway at the entrance of Rose Hill. The tree has been a witness to the history of Milledgeville.

This tree represents too much history to be cut down and end up in a chipper. We don’t want the story of this tree to end. To honor its life, we want to extend its legacy; we are having it planked, and then we will sell the slabs. Lockerly will then re-invest the proceeds into the care and maintenance of our collections.

If you are a woodworker or want a piece of Lockerly’s history, we will have the slabs available on Friday, July 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take home a piece of Milledgeville history and extend the story of our Eastern Red Cedar.

–Sarah Melito is the marketing coordinator for Lockerly Arboretum