Rare tree rooted in local history

WEYAUWEGA – When a fire claimed Cindee Garnett’s home the day before Thanksgiving in 2013, local residents had one question for her after making sure she was safe: “How’s the tree?”

The tree in question is a historic Camperdown elm, a rare variety with drooping, vine-like branches that give it the appearance of being planted upside down. Originally developed in Scotland, the unusual trees are created by grafting a Camperdown elm onto the trunk of an upright elm.

Garnett’s tree is grafted onto an American elm trunk and is estimated to be more than 100 years old. She believes it was planted in the mid-to-late 1800s, around the time the original home at 111 East Sumner St. was built. Weyauwega became a village in 1856.

The massive tree spreads about 39 feet across, rises about 35 feet tall and has a trunk measuring about 10 feet in circumference. The tree survived the house fire in 2013 due to the efforts of local firefighters, some of whom were former students or parents of students from Garnett’s 37-year teaching career. She served as a fifth grade teacher at Weyauwega Elementary School for 35 of those years.

As the fire threatened the tree, Garnett said crews would pause fighting the house fire to redirect their hoses and keep the flames from engulfing the canopy. Though some singed branches had to be carefully cut back, the tree rebounded the following spring.

After losing her home just five months into retirement, Garnett rebuilt on the same lot. Like the original 1800s house, which featured a large window overlooking the elm, her new home was designed to showcase the tree. Garnett said she customized the 2014 modular home’s floor plan so the main living room would serve as a viewing space. She even named the home “Camperdown Cottage,” which is depicted on a sign on the front door.

Maintaining the tree’s sprawling, umbrella-like canopy is quite a feat. Because Camperdown elms grow downward and outward rather than strictly upward, the heavy branches need to be propped up to prevent them from breaking under their own weight. Garnett and her neighbors have used poles to support the heaviest limbs.

Garnett said the tree grows “really fast” and becomes overgrown every year, requiring regular maintenance. While she used to trim the tree back herself, she now has her landscapers handle pruning the tree annually.

When the elm suffered a severe bug infestation, she said four off-duty firefighters brought a water truck to her property on a Saturday morning to hose off the pests and pollen.

Today, the elm continues to thrive, providing a massive canopy that feels like something out of a fairy tale during the summer months. Garnett said the tree’s appearance changes drastically with the seasons.

“In the fall it looks gnarly to me,” she said. “It looks like almost a spooky witch tree.”

The Camperdown elm has become somewhat of a landmark in Weyauwega. It is featured on the mural painted on the silo on North Mill Street which depicts key events in the community’s history.