One of the largest trees in Maine has been ravaged by browntail moths in recent months, causing concern about the health of Portland’s beloved landmark.
The Candelabra Tree, as it is colloquially known, lost 90 percent of its foliage after the leaves sprouted early May, according to the Portland Press Herald. The massive pin oak, estimated to be about 100 years old, sits at the edge of Deering Oaks park in the city.
The loss of foliage was caused by a combination of a lack of water and repeated attacks by browntail moths, despite the city’s efforts to control the pesky pests. Though a modest number of leaves have since grown on the tree, City Arborist Jeff Tarling is working to protect it further.
READ MORE BROWNTAIL MOTH COVERAGE
“Thousands of people drive by this tree every day,” Tarling told the Press Herald. “People are concerned because they see what’s happening, and I’m concerned because I don’t want to lose a beloved tree. It’s definitely on the danger list.”
Last fall, Tarling’s team removed thousands of browntail moth nests from the trees in Deering Oaks in hopes of preventing an infestation. Come May, the team had to inject the roots of 50 trees with pesticide, including the Candelabra Tree.
With a trunk circumference of 163 inches and a height of 89 feet, the Candelabra Tree is the largest pin oak in the state, according to the Maine Register of Big Trees. It isn’t the biggest tree on the register, but its branches stretch a width of 106 feet, the widest crown of any tree in the state.
