THE WITCHES' TREE NEEDS HELP
The witch spruce grows in the Vilkyškių Geomorphological Reserve of the Rambynas Regional Park. It is a really interesting spruce with several trunks intertwined at the top. The main trunk of this spruce is 5,1 m long at the fork and 34 m high. It is estimated that the spruce may be 160-180 years old.
Why is the spruce tree so unusually shaped? A scientific study was carried out, which led to the rejection of the hypothesis that the spruce's polygonality is a horticultural trick. It is likely that the reason for the polygonality of the Witch Spruce is a unique genotype.
The State Service for Protected Areas reminds us that the Witches' Spruce is a state protected natural monument. In 2017, it was voted Lithuanian Tree of the Year and even took part in the European Tree of the Year competition.
When it was noticed that the famous Witches' Spruce, like other spruce trees in Lithuania, had been attacked by the Bark Beetle, an institutional meeting was organised, with the participation of dendrological scientists.
The meeting concluded that due to climate change, the biological age of Norway spruce trees in Lithuania is decreasing and nothing can save them from old age. However, care can extend the age of an old tree.
It was recommended to mulch the soil above the root, to use biological pest control measures, to limit human access to the root zone more strongly, and to irrigate during dry periods.
All these measures will be implemented in the near future.
Last updated: 20-08-2024
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