The Trees of O’Donal’s Nursery

Upon visiting O’Donal’s Nursery in Gorham, Maine, one can immediately see and feel that this place is different. The property is full of maturing trees of many types, that give one a sense of being in a park or arboretum rather than a nursery.

Every one of these living specimens has a history…a story, if you will.

The row of large evergreens off to the side of our main sales area is comprised of Norway Spruce, Picea abies. A mature Norway Spruce has a classic and majestic shape, with its dangling branchlets drooping downward…our version of dripping “Spanish moss” except these branchlets are part of the tree. In the fall 6″ long tan to brown cones drip off the tips of these trees, adding to their beauty. For history, try this: these trees were all planted as a row of nursery seedlings sometime around the 1930’s or 40’s. The intent of members of the crew who, at that time, worked for the Jackson family, was to grow them to a marketable size and then dig them for sales. Clearly, these trees were not dug; we have been able to take advantage of this by using them as wind break and natural shade for our rhododendrons, azaleas and other shade-loving plants. When we show you plants displayed under these trees, there is no hint of sun. These beautiful trees provide oodles of shade like few plants can. When we show clients interested in our smaller Norway Spruce and they ask how large they grow, we just point to these majestic beauties and say, “in a hundred years, they will look like that!”

The absolutely graceful American Elm at our front entrance is clearly an anomaly. There are very few American Elm seedlings left that are this large. We believe that this tree survived the initial onslaught of Dutch elm disease for a very simple reason: it was too young at the time for the elm bark beetles to find it. In the 1950’s, Dutch elm disease was spreading all over coastal Maine and the Atlantic states. It spread primarily by elm bark beetles feeding on infected trees, and then flying into healthy trees, infecting them. There is no doubt that our Elm’s parents were decimated along with their relatives. Still, this tree endures. Now that it is mature, it occasionally flags a yellow stem: maybe disease, maybe insect damage, maybe just a distressed stem. These ends have always dropped to the ground. If the flagging is from Dutch elm disease, the tree has apparently compartmentalized the damaged area and cast it off before the disease could spread. Maybe this is a sign of natural resistance, or just incredible luck. One may look at the base of the tree, surrounded by pavement, with people and plant-laden carts trafficking over at all times of the day, and expect this tree to show distress all the time. Instead, it stands majestically, with its graceful branches curving like a huge umbrella, sheltering us from the environment like a loving mother.

We are often asked what type of pine is in the east end of our front garden. Somewhat short and stout, this tree displays very short internodes…which is to say…it grows extremely slowly. It may surprise many to find out that this tree is well over 100 years old. It is a Dwarf White Pine, Pinus strobus ‘Nana’. Planted originally by the Jackson family sometime prior to 1950, it was moved from its initial planting site to this new garden sometime around 1976. At that time, it was about 6′ tall and wide. Over the years, it has anchored its end of the garden and survived everything our harsh climate has given it: severe wind, drought, road salt, White Pine weevil, and even acid-rain; our small tree has shown remarkable resiliency. Our particular Dwarf White Pine is one of an original group planted by the Jackson family. Since its planting, there have been numerous selections of Dwarf White Pine that show even slower or smaller growth. Many of these forms were discovered by the late Sid Waxman, a University of Connecticut professor at the time. The variety Sid named `Soft Touch’ is a much smaller maturing form of Dwarf White Pine. A specimen of this type is also planted in our front garden at the opposite end. The differences between these two plants, each a Dwarf White Pine, is striking.

During the fall people notice a quite sizeable tree in the very back of the nursery with glowing yellow fall color. This is a mature Black Birch, Betula lenta. Another name for this tree is Sweet Birch, because its inner bark smells of wintergreen. Native people made a tonic using a solution from this tree, which, by the way, is the identical compound in actual wintergreen. The Black Birch and its close cousin, Yellow Birch, Betula allegheniensis, which also carries the wintergreen compound, are considered to have the purest fall color of any native trees. The Black Birch can be distinguished from Yellow Birch by its bark, clearly seen on our mature tree, Black Birch bark turns thick and very black, more resembling cherry than birch, while Yellow Birch has, well, yellow bark. When you see these trees in the fall, back-lit by a setting sun, they are absolutely breathtaking. We don’t know the origin of our Black Birch. It may well be a naturally-sprouted seedling that grew, or the Jackson family may have planted it. The woods out behind the nursery have both Yellow and Black Birch, so anything is possible.

Just at the end of our deciduous shrub back-stock sits a unique tree with a very tropical look. When examined closely, its few branches appear more like clubs with layers of gray bark. When in leaf; this tree forms extremely long and, follow me here: bi-pinnately compound foliage. Compound foliage is when leaves are formed of rows of leaflets on petioles (technically a rachis, but calling them petioles is less confusing). Bi-pinnate foliage takes this further by forming its leaflets into compound foliage. The result is an almost palm-frond-like, and is extremely unique. Some of these entire leaves may grow to over 24” long and almost as wide…hence the reason for such thick branches…they have to hold up extreme weight when the tree is fully leafed-out. This is a Kentucky Coffeetree, Gymnocladus dioicus. The Kentucky Coffeetree, as its name implies, is an American woodland native, although not native to Maine. Its fruit, a thick-skinned large brown pea, was used by colonists as a substitute for coffee, although the USDA cautions that un-roasted seeds are poisonous. During nursery tours with students or gardening groups, our Kentucky Coffeetree has consistently confused those in attendance regarding its identity. When seen in the fall, the tree is extremely pretty, as its late season fall color changes in stages. In winter, its form has been described as “bold”, and its flaky, layered bark is very noticeable. This particular tree appears to be a male form, as sexes are on different trees. While our tree has bloomed, it has never formed pod-like fruit. If you happen to see a female Kentucky Coffeetree in fruit, you can’t miss its thick leathery pods that more resemble eyeglass cases than fruits.

In 1976, O’Donal’s Nursery supplied trees and shrubs to a new planting site that became known as the Spring Point Arboretum on the campus of Southern Maine Community College. The landscape architects designing the plantings specified a Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum, clearly a tree that would be out of its element in Maine… it is native to the swamps and bayous of the deep South. When we purchased the tree now planted at Spring Point, we purchased a few others. There is one of these extra trees still here, and it is spectacular! While the Bald Cypress in South Portland has struggled with the conditions there, our tree has thrived and formed a wide, majestic crown and amassed an impressive trunk diameter. It is now considered the State Champion Bald Cypress for Maine.

The most striking feature of this tree is its foliage. Bald Cypress is a deciduous conifer. Its needles turn orange in the fall and then drop, leaving the tree bare for winter. After over 40 years on site, our Bald Cypress is now forming adventitious growths that further south would become the knees seen at cypress bases. We can’t wait to see how these knees develop in the future. This tree is also old enough to form cones each year, which are large and rounded, and add yet another unique feature to our beautiful tree.

At a very early Cary Award Selection Meeting in 1995, one member of the committee suggested adding Heptacodium miconoides, Seven Son Flower, to the potential list. About half of the committee members spoke up in exuberant support, while the other half asked, “What’s a Heptacodium”.

Within a month, O’Donal’s Nursery was able to procure some very young Heptacodium in 4” pots, and we were off and running!

At least 3 of the original Heptacodiums purchased in 1995 are still alive, planted in separate locations in Southern Maine. One is still here, and it is spectacular! Seven Son Flower is a large shrub or small tree; it is fast-growing, and usually multi-stemmed, although it can be trimmed and maintained as a single-stem specimen. Its claim to fame is the clusters of white flowers that open in August. When the petals fall in September, the calyx portion of the flowers turn pink, then deep red, provided our fall temperatures don’t turn too cold too fast. Its foliage is unique, very shiny green, and has a slight fold, resembling dogwood foliage, but, then, not so much. It is similar to mockorange foliage; but, then, not so much. Similar to lilac foliage; but, then… you get the idea. In fall, Heptacodium foliage remains green until very late in October. Its leaves may turn a ruddy yellow, or drop as green as grass. When this happens, the real ornamental feature of this tree reveals itself…Heptacodium’s bark is a very light tan and peels away from its trunk and stems, showing a shaggy, almost white coloration throughout the winter months. Our original tree is now approximately 20’ tall and may be over 20’ wide. This plant would make an excellent ornamental screen, a beautiful year round ornamental specimen, or a “surprise” plant at a turn in a garden. When suggesting Heptacodium to a customer, all we have to do is show them our mature plant, and the sale is done! Little known but spectacular, it was chosen as a Cary Award-winner during our deliberation for the second list of winners in 1998.

The Saco Heath is known to be environmentally important for one major reason: it is one of, if not THE most northern location with Coastal White Cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides, as a dominant species. Coastal White Cedars live in wetland areas, holding soil and nutrients so other plants can survive. Anyone who has walked the Cedar Trail on Cape Cod has walked along boardwalks surrounded by majestic specimens of this species.

When the O’Donal family purchased this nursery from the Jackson family, there was a Chamaecyparis thyoides here…and it still is. On the corner of our potted tree area is a medium-sized, multi-stemmed evergreen with grayish-blue-foliage that somewhat resembles a gray-needled arborvitae. While our nursery is not a swamp, this tree is doing well because it gets hit by at least 2 of our irrigation sprinklers every time our system runs, so its roots are never dry. We sell samples of 4 species of Chamaecyparis. The Hinoki and Sawara types are native to Asia, and are considered to be more ornamental species, while Coastal White and the Alaskan Cedars, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, are native to North America. There are many worthy forms of both species to be considered. Many forms of Coastal White Cedar have foliage ranging from green to blue. Ours is a middle-of-the-road-grayish, but still different enough to be a unique specimen in a wetland area of a property. While we probably sell more dwarf types or bright blue forms, our Coastal White Cedar serves as a living example for us to show customers who ask about the species. While not generally considered as ornamental as other evergreens, this nicely-behaved native plant has a home here, and we are proud that such an important native can take center stage.