Green Mount Cemetery on U.S. Route 2 in Montpelier is a gem, both for the history of the monuments and for its trees. While some drive past with hardly a look, others know the joys of sitting peacefully and enjoying the views or walking among the stones, perhaps listening to birds singing in the trees.
The largest of three cemeteries in the city, it was established in 1854 on 35 hilly acres, and is actively managed by Cemetery Director Patrick Healy and his assistant Carl Griffith, with a five-member commission and a city budget.
Much of the work in the cemetery has included dealing with a number of very old trees, including many that had become hazardous, both to people and to the monuments. Healy spearheaded developing a long-term maintenance plan to remove these trees before they caused damage, and then to slowly plant new trees.
Guided by that vision, the cemetery crew removed a row of trees along the cemetery’s main road, mainly sugar maples, that had declined because of soil compaction and exposure to road salt.
Teaming up with volunteers from the Montpelier Tree Board, they planted six Freeman maple saplings. These will grow quickly and become a stunning addition to the already beautiful autumn foliage in the cemetery. This variety of maple not only provides brilliant fall color, but also grows fast and is more salt tolerant than the sugar maples they replaced. The Montpelier Tree Board and the Montpelier Parks and Trees Department are providing the trees, all grown in the city’s tree nursery at a low cost.
Recently as part of the next phase of the plan, more trees were taken down along U.S. Route 2. These were all Norway maples, a rugged species but one that is no longer recommended because they are invasive in surrounding woodlands. As was the case last fall, the cemetery crew and volunteers of the Montpelier Tree Board will be re-planting, this time with a selection of nine oak varieties from the city nursery.
We expect these oaks will do very well because they are tolerant of road salt, fast growing, long lived, and of impressive stature in their maturity. Oaks are also hosts to over four hundred types of caterpillars. Why are “pests” valuable? Although some of the larvae may do damage to the leaves, it is usually minor and, importantly, those larvae are the perfect food for the young birds being raised in the spring! More oaks equals more birds. In the late fall the oaks, while not as brilliantly colored as maples, will create a lovely mix of color. Many also keep their leaves throughout the winter to add interest to the landscape.
Under the long-term plan, other older, legacy trees are being removed in various locations throughout the cemetery with the help of the city arborist. Mainly because of their old age, there was an increasing danger of their dropping branches, and when these land on monuments, the cost can quickly become substantial.
Plans include replacing many of these trees with new ones with provisions to carefully prune and maintain them so they can get to an old age safely and gracefully while also adding beauty to the landscape.
By using young trees grown in the city nursery and volunteer help during planting, Healy reports that his budget is going further than he’d anticipated.
As you drive by Green Mount, slow down and take a look or, better yet, pull in and take a walk.
John Snell is the chair of Montpelier’s Tree Board.
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