This black tupelo tree, which sits on 25 acres of open space owned by the Wells Family, is now officially listed with the Connecticut Notable Trees Project. It is the third largest black tupelo in Connecticut.
Contributed photoSHELTON — One of the largest black tupelo trees in the state sits on land that could soon be purchased by a commercial developer.
The tree sits on 25 acres of open space owned by the Wells family and was officially listed with the Connecticut Notable Trees Project last week. Peter North of the Notable Trees Project measured the tree last week and found it to be the third largest in Connecticut.
The black tupelo, with a scientific name of nyssa sylvatica and also known as a blackgum, was measured at 130 inches circumference and 79 feet high, with an average spread of 69 feet. Those numbers place the tree only inches from second place, which is in Portland.
Laura Wells, who along with her mother, Pat, and four siblings own a stake in the open space, nominated the tree for inclusion with the Notable Trees Project. She says the tree could be as much as 150 years old.
Established in 1985, the Notable Trees Project collects and distributes information about Connecticut's largest and most historic trees, both native and introduced. By educating our fellow citizens about the importance of our state's natural heritage we work to preserve it. It is a volunteer enterprise sponsored by the Connecticut Botanical Society, the Connecticut College Arboretum, and the Connecticut Urban Forest Council.
The tree sits amidst 25 acres of open space, owned by Wells Holding, LLC. The Board of Aldermen voted to purchase the land for $1.29 million several months ago, but in the ensuing months, those plans changed, and a commercial developer has expressed interest in the site.
Laura Wells said her father — the late Lyman Wells — knew that the land would one day be sold, but his plea to his family before his death some 10 years ago was that it is not sold for development, she said. Selling the land to a commercial developer, she said, runs contrary to her father's dream for the property.
The city’s deal to purchase the land remains in limbo, according to Mayor Mark Lauretti, who said he had no immediate plans for developing anything on the site.
brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com