Marilla sycamore tree crowned as largest in the state
Under its leafy boughs romance blossomed forth
On a hillside in Marilla sits no ordinary tree.
It’s 97 feet tall, 162 inches in circumference and has a crown spread of 16 feet.
The tree is the largest registered sycamore tree in all of New York State, and the state Department of Environmental Conversation recently crowned the tree its state champion.
“It’s a big tree, that’s obvious,” said Marilla Supervisor George Gertz. “I personally have never taken a trip out to see the tree, but I have an officer who has assured me of its size. He says it’s huge.”
Though estimated to be between 250 and 300 years old, the tree did not begin its flirtation with noteworthiness in 1700. Rather, that started in mid-May, when Marilla resident Eric Klinski notified the DEC of the sycamore on his property.
Klinski, 39, was surfing the Internet and came across the Big Tree Registry online. He contacted state officials to report the tree, but he never thought it would be the biggest.
Patrick Marren, a DEC expert in forestry, recorded the tree’s measurements, grading it on three main components: height, circumference and a quarter of the tree’s average crown spread. These three numbers are calculated into a total point score.
Though impressive in size, it is not the largest Sycamore tree in the country, DEC spokeswoman Megan Gollwitzer said. In fact, it is nowhere near as large as the national champ — a 129-foot tall, 422-inch circumference tree in Ashland, Ohio.
But the Marilla tree has a history, at least for the Klinski family, who built a house from scratch on its hillside in 2005.
Klinski bought the property, in large part because of the tree, he said.
In mid-August 2005, a momentous occasion occurred beneath the shade of the tree.
Klinski, who was checking out the recently purchased property with his girlfriend, Paula, dropped to one knee with a ring in hand.
“We were looking at the tree, and, well, I popped the question,” he said, “It seemed like the perfect spot for a new beginning. Her reaction was shocked, surprised. She was overjoyed, tears in her eyes.”
The couple sealed the deal with a kiss — the sycamore its witness.
Now a family with two boys, the Klinskis have enjoyed afternoon picnics and night campfires in the company of the tree, which they consider the “cornerstone of the property.”
The father is eyeing a branch of the sycamore that might be perfect for a swing as the boys grow older.
“This sycamore tree is simply amazing,” he said. “We can see it from all of the windows in the front of our house,” he said, “and its silhouette at sunset is simply breathtaking, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. We are very fortunate to have a tree of this size, and glad for it. It’s a slice of life and a piece of history we get to see every day.”
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments