FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The City of Fayetteville’s Urban Forestry staff and Urban Forestry Advisory Board have selected the 2021 Amazing Tree of Fayetteville.
This year’s selection, the fifth in the program’s history, is a post oak at the Fayetteville Public Library. The tree is located on S. School Street, near the intersection with W. Rock Street outside the recent library expansion.
A plaque will be placed near the base of the post oak (Quercus stellata), a North American species of white oak. Under normal circumstances, a public event would be held but a ceremony is not scheduled due to current pandemic conditions.
The Amazing Tree program recognizes significant trees and highlights the importance of trees in the city. The Urban Forestry Advisory Board and the City’s urban foresters choose trees that exemplify unique character by being large, uniquely shaped or a rare species.
This post oak stands around 70 feet tall and its canopy covers approximately 3,200 square feet. The trunk is 120.9 inches (10 feet) in circumference.
The post oak at the library has survived three construction events and is still thriving, according to the city. Great care was taken to ensure this tree survived during the expansion of the library. A certified arborist regularly inspected the tree throughout the construction and it has been placed in a tree preservation easement for future protection.
Post oaks are among the more dominant oak species in our forests. This tree can host up to 421 different moths and butterflies and be home to many small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Acorns produced by post oaks are a valuable source of food for squirrels, deer and turkey. The growth rate of the post oak is slow, and they can live to be 400 years old.
For more information about the Amazing Trees of Fayetteville program, including previous selections, visit www.fayetteville-ar.gov/amazingtrees.
