Tourism is big in Virginia – visitors taking official walks to study history and architecture, cemeteries, battlefields and now – trees. The state boasts nearly 400 different species, and a Charlottesville woman is sharing her passion for trees with the public.
Robin Hanes loves trees so much that she was once arrested for trying to prevent a developer from cutting one down. Now, she’s sharing her expertise with the public – leading tree walks In Charlottesville. She points to red mulberries – native to this area – and to white mulberries imported to start an American silk industry. Today, both produce lots of sweet, black berries.
“You’ll see them all over the ground. They just leave these big black splotches. Wildlife love them, and so do dogs.”
She admires a tall sycamore – a species that can live 600 years and attain the largest trunk diameter of any hardwood in the eastern United States.
“Settlers used to hide in there. They would be so big they could keep their cows in there.”
And they’re hearty. Hanes marvels at one that’s still growing on the banks of the Rivanna River, even after flood damage.
“Half of the tree actually washed away, and I thought for sure it was a corner. It’s a pretty amazing tree. It’s growing sideways now, level with the ground. As long as they have a portion of their roots in the ground they seem to be okay.”
She tells tourists which trees produce edible fruits or nuts – stopping by a stand of pawpaws which earlier this year had smooth green ovals high in their branches.
“They’re bitter to the taste unless you keep them until they look totally brown and rotten, and that’s when they become creamy and custardy.”
Which is why some people call them custard apples. In the spring, they’re home to brownish blossoms that stink.
“They’re really kind of pretty, but they smell bad and attract flies. That’s their pollinator.”
Hanes is offering free tours this weekend at Riverview Park – Saturday at 11 and Sunday at 9.
