It’s in your nature: Wolf trees

On one of your drives into new territory you notice a huge tree growing in the middle of a field. Or one close to the road with no other forest trees nearby. These very old, solitary trees are called wolf trees.

My birding buddy Dave brought light to this subject, and my curiosity led me to research some information on these old sentinels. Most of the wolf trees of which I am familiar are oak trees.

I had my own theory why wolf trees were left standing after the forests around them were timbered or cleared for farming. I thought they survived because they were a good landmark for surveyors helping to mark property line corners. That may be one explanation for wolf trees, but here are more.

Wolf trees served many purposes for farmers. Wolf trees, without competition from surrounding trees, begin developing very wide crowns with numerous horizontal limbs. Simply put, they grew out, not up. This type of tree will provide quite a bit of shade.

So dairy farmers will let a wolf tree or two stand in pastures to offer shade to their herd in the summer — makes sense. But the shade provided could also be for workers clearing a field or running fences — another practical use.

Some of the wolf trees of which I am familiar are probably 200 or more years old. Selected because they were already some of the largest trees in that forest, they provided an anchor point for block and tackle as farmers used them to pull stumps from their soon-to-be fields. Bulldozers, giant timbering skidders and chain saws weren’t the norm 150-200 years ago. Remember, we take today’s farm fields for granted. “Penn’s Woods” didn’t get its nickname because it was covered in pasture. These fields are the culmination of years of strenuous effort to first clear the trees and then to move rocks, etc. If the wolf trees could talk, what history they could share.

Wolf trees, after their usefulness as block and tackle anchors was complete, were left standing for aesthetic value also. Our forefather farmers also appreciated that these trees provided nesting sites for birds. Farmers realized that left alone in a field, these huge trees no longer competed for sunlight with other forest trees, so much of their growth was lateral. They did not have tall, straight trunks needed for lumber.

I still remember a number of wolf trees in the Big Creek Valley before the Beltzville Dam construction. Only a few remain. Those remaining are less conspicuous now because forest succession is occurring around them. If you travel Route 309 through the Lehigh Valley, a very old wolf tree still stands in front of the former Parkland High School. It’s a nice reminder of the farm for which it provided so much. Remember to appreciate the value these centuries old trees provided.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: True or false, most believe a wolf tree got its name because they were considered lone wolves.

Last week’s trivia answer: Redpolls and finches enjoy feeding on birch tree catkins.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.