Tree Fest 2015

TREEFEST 2015 – RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL SITE, COQUITLAM, BC

The Silver Lindens are nearly a century old. A family of elephants could shelter under the canopy of the tall Smooth-Leaf Elms.  For 22 years, Treefest has celebrated these and the hundreds of other remarkable trees as well as the historic buildings and landscapes of Riverview. 

Treefest will be held on Saturday, September 19th from 11 am to 4 pm.  It is hosted by the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society in partnership with the City of Coquitlam and the Burke Mountain Naturalists.

Treefest is a celebration of environmental stewardship. The day will be filled with family-oriented activities. The always popular arborist-led Tree Tours will be held on the hour; plus a Children’s Walk. Well-known Vancouver heritage consultant Donald Luxton will lead a tour of some of the Heritage Buildings (exterior only).  Blackberry Tea will be served in the Serenity Garden by Maple Creek Streamkeeper volunteers. The SPARC antique radio museum will be open for visitors, and the hosts of the History Bus Tours will offer insight and stories on Riverview/Essondale history. Bus seating is very limited and can be reserved with a $2 donation.

Since 1992 the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society has increased public awareness of the Riverview Lands in Coquitlam.  The Society’s goal has been to have the site preserved for its original purpose of supporting people with mental illness and to protect the Riverview landscape and collection of trees for horticultural education, retention of urban green space and public community uses. 

The future of Riverview is uncertain.  The public process conducted by BC Housing continued this year.  More information should be available in September.  Riverview has historically been a sanctuary for the mentally ill.  It is hoped that it can once again be a refuge for people living with mental illness. 

The Treefest site is outside the HenryEsson Young (“HEY”) Building, accessible from the Lougheed Highway at the Colony Farm Road or Orchid Drive entrances.  Banners and signs will mark the way and maps of the Riverview grounds are available online at rhcs.org.
For more info visit Coquitlam Treefest   or call 604-927-3583 or 604-290-9910.

Donna Crosby, RHCS    

Phone 604-939-4064

Email    donna@rhcs.org

Caresse Selk, City of Coquitlam

Phone 604-927-3583

Email     cselk@coquitlam.ca

Tree 459

Tree 459  Acer cappadocicum    Coliseum Maple,
Cappadocian Maple,    Caucasian Maple   

This specimen is located in Zone 5, which is the area between Boxwood Drive (the road in front of the West Lawn building ) to Holly Drive. This maple is estimated to be about 85 years old, and at least 18 Metres in height, and has a condition rating of 7, out of a scale of 1-10.

There are 26  Coliseum Maples on the Riverview Hospital grounds.

 West Lawn in the background

Tree 986

Tree 986  Magnolia wilsonii  Wilson's Magnolia   

     This young shrubby tree is located beside Tree 985 Golden Catalpa
Both of which are located near the junction of Clover Street, and Birch Crescent.


This magnolia is originally from China, and has interesting flowers.

Tree 985-Golden Catalpa in the right background.

Stems and name plate, Tree 986 Magnolia wilsonii

Tree 624

Tree 624  Corylus avellana "corntorta"
  Curly European Filbert,      Harry Lauder's Walking Stick,
Corkscrew Hazel

And the specific Corylus avellana, contorta  page at the Royal Horticultural Society for this tree.

      There is only one specimen of this tree at Riverview, and it is located at the northerly end of the Tuck Shop, along Holly Drive.  A slow growing tree, suitable for a small space.

Catkins in early April of 2008, catkins shown in inset detail.

And a month later in May 2008

Tree 253

Tree 253  Ulmus minor  Smooth-leaf Elm, Field Elm

 This tree was rated with a condition of 9 out of 10 in 2005, and was 30 Metres in height. And today it is estimated to be about 85 years in age.
The same species of elm is also beside it Tree 252, both of these are near the Crease Clinic, and are located along the concrete walkway that leads from Pine Terrace to West Lawn.

There are ten specimens of this particular species on the Riverview hospital site, they are:
 Tree 37, 128, 417, 418, 1054, 1111, 1186, 1187

There are many more species of Ulmus to be found in the collection.

Tree 253, with Tree 252 behind it.  March 2008

Flowers

Bark, with ID tag. Typical to see the bark well covered with moss here in B.C.

Tree 1922-4

Tree1922, 1923, 1924  Halesia carolina 

 Silver Bell, Carolina Silverbell

      A grouping of three, just off Holly Drive, near the Bus shelter, that is beside the stairs that lead down from West Lawn.  These trees are young, but they can grow to 8 Metres in height and 10 Metres in width.
From the southeast, USA.  Some more information about them from the Royal Horticultural Society
These three Halesia carolina, are the only specimens on the site.

 Flowers

Flowers and last years seed pods, which persist on these trees.

Tree 497

Tree 497  Fagus sylvatica "Pendula"
Weeping European Beech, Upsidedown Tree

 This specimen is located between East Lawn and Centre lawn, an it is beside Lawn Drive. It is at least 19 Metres in height, about 80 years old. It was rated in 2005 as having a condion of 9, on a scale from 1-10.

 

 

Tree 985

Tree 985 Catalpa bignonioides "aurea",
  Southern Catalpa, Indian Bean Tree, Golden Catalpa...

About 55 years old, and just over 9 Metres in height. A beautiful tree, that is from the south-eastern United States, here it needs to wait until it is quite warm before it greens up, and flowers which have a nice scent to them.

On the Riverview site there are  about 8 Catalpa bignonioides, but only one "aurea" and it was given a very  sunny, and prominent place to grow, near the corners of Clover Street, and Birch Crescent.

Seed pods and leaves

In full sun, flowers in inset of the photo

Tree 952

Tree 952   Acer capillipes, Red snakebark maple,
  Kyushu Maple  ホソエカエデ hosoekaede

Close cousin to the Pére David's Maple ( see Tree 817 ), which is originally from China. This species of maple originated in Japan.
Apparently both species hybridize easily amongst each other.   This tree is located in the Arboretum area, which is directly below West Lawn, and close to the Lougheed Highway, this tree is within about 200 Metres to the southerly rear corner of the Crease Clinic building. 

This particular specimen was planted to honour John Davidison, AKA Botany John, who played a prominent role in botanical research in British Columbia; the first Botanical garden in western Canada was located on what was then known as the, Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale, B.C.,  near  the Henry Esson Young building, and two nurses accomodations; known today as the Fernwood and Adminstration buildings.

 Dedication plaque for Tree 952

Note the distintive bark

Tree 817

Tree 817 Acer davidii   Snakebark maple, Pére David's Maple

This particular speciment is located behing the Roadside building  between it's parking lot and a sidewalk. Where it is located there is lots of room around it; and accordingly it displays its normal growth habit of multiple stems; it should really be called a shrubby tree.  Nice tree for a small garden

Samaras, (seeds) on the Snakebark Maple

Guests saying hello to the Snakebark Maple

March 2004

Tree 141

Tree 141 Quercus coccinea, Scarlet Oak

See it in better days in Google Streetview

It was estimated to be about 85 years old, and 29 metres in height, and a condition rank of 5, out of a possible 10.

It had a major structural failure Sunday last (21 June2015), it it fell across Pine Terrace, which is the road leading to the Crease Clinic

 As these photographs clearly show this is probably the death of this tree, at least there is still another one beside it, but it is not as well-formed as this specimen was; hopefully now the still  remaining Scarlet oak can take advantage of this opportunity.