Ride Report: Heritage Trees of Portland

[Submitted by Emily Wilson]

Yesterday evening, just over 40 people gathered for a tour of Portland Heritage Trees in the SE (we counted off at our first tree, but for the life of me I can’t remember the number – 43? – help me out here folks…)

our first stop was a Ponticum Rhododron – bees feeding on the nectar of this plant can produce honey with a mild hallucinogenic and
laxative effect, 11 cases being documented in Istanbul in the 80’s, as the plant is native to Asia Minor – (thank you Wikipedia!) http://www.springerlink.com/content/w322484735r06208/

The rest of the tour being far more pedestrian in nature, we visited:

a Big Leaf Linden
Oregon Myrtle
Tartan Elm
European Beech and Spanish Chestnut (edible) – on the same lot

We skipped the Scarlet Oak – as it is hard to see from the street and we were a large group

Oregon White Oak – a particular native of this area

Tulip Tree – the owner came out and asked us to lobby the city to put Agnes (his name for the tree – did I remember it right folks?) on the
Heritage Tree list – I told him I found her as #280 on the list – so I thought she already was.

then on to Black Walnut – a favorite of mine as there was a huge one outside my freshman dorm widow and they turn a brilliant yellow in the
fall – my birthday season.

A big Western White Pine that was shorter than its house in pictures from the 1930’s

A stand of Northern Red Oaks around a colonial style house, built by a
very early owner of the PGE and from which Colonial Heights takes its
name

and last but certainly not least – a huge London Planetree