TWILIGHT OF THE BEECHES

LONGTIME NEWPORT RESIDENTS FEEL THE EFFECTS OF AGE, WELCOME GLAM NEW NEIGHBORS.

When the barons of Gilded Age Newport on Rhode Islands coast were accessorizing their mansions, the copper beech was a popular choice: stately in habit, European in origin, and, with its shiny purple foliage, tastefully striking in appearance.

But more than a century later, the resort towns beeches arent faring so well. As the New York Times recently reported, the trees are, as a group, succumbing seemingly all at once to scale, the cankerous pathogen Phytophthora, and age. Weakened specimens cant withstand pathogens, or storms such as Hurricane Irene last summer, that younger, stronger trees can shake off.

In Newport, replacing the lost and declining specimens requires attention to detail and history. Tourists visit Newport to experience the past. The town, a military and trade center, was clear - cut during the American Revolution, says the citys tree and grounds supervisor, Scott Wheeler. Later, some wealthy residents sponsored far - flung plant - collecting expeditions and proudly displayed the fruits of their journeys. Affection for exotic species continues today. "The landscape is critical to our economic infrastructure," says Wheeler. So there is not much pressure to abandon normative species that are not causing problems.

Many of the mansions are now museums. Jeff Curtis, the director of gardens and grounds at the Preservation Society of Newport County, is working to preserve the original landscape designs. Growing and planting new beeches is part of the effort. Earlier attempts to replace trees damaged by major hurricanes in 1938 and 1954 used species such as Norway maple. Those trees aggressively self - sowed and shaded out turfgrass, they lacked the character of the handsome beeches, and many were ultimately removed. "Thats why you dont see a lot of middle - aged trees in Newport," says Curtis.

Now, when he sees early evidence of decline in a mature tree, Curtis will plant a young specimen nearby. "We lost one big tree at Chateau - sur - Mer from Irene, but we had already planted a replacement," he says. "So we have another beautiful tree right where we want it."

Tree planting is also a priority on more humble properties. The city has had an active tree planting program for about 20 years for its parks, many of which are former estates. An ordinance also provides low - cost bare - root trees to residents; the city procures and plants the trees in an area up to 20 feet in from the property line. Wheeler says that planting on private property provides a "living soil" environment much more horticulturally favorable than a thin strip along the street The post - planting care that homeowners provide also frees up limited city resources for other needs.

But Newports landscape was never about street trees, or even trees in a small setback. As Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. noted in his 1913 landscape improvement plan for Newport: "The trees along the streets are numerous, and arranged in a manner which is not usual in American cities. They rather generally overhang the street from the front or side yards of the houses."

To keep up that tradition, the nonprofit Newport Tree Society has set up a specimen tree planting program. After a site visit to make sure a proposed planting spot is viable, residents attend a workshop and are given containerized specimens in keeping with the historic aesthetic —species such as katsura tree, Kentucky coffeetree, European hornbeam, and, of course, beech. "We want to give people options other than box store varieties such as the Bradford pear and purple leaf plum," Wheeler says.