Maxilla Everett Evans Tree
Evans Property, Waynesville, North Carolina (planted July 2008)



   

LEFT (May 18, 2012): Two Maidenhair Fern specimens are surrounded by a very rare native ground cover of the evergreen Shortia galacifolia (Oconee Bells), which is thriving after having been planted by Maxilla Evans in several locales on this property, which was owned by her daughter (Sara Evans) when the 2008 planting of Torreya seedlings took place. Note: Maxilla harvested wild specimens of Shortia doomed by a filling reservoir and brought many to this property and to the nearby Corneille Bryan Native Plant Garden.

RIGHT: "Maxilla" Torreya specimen a week after planting in 2008.



July 31, 2008: "Maxilla Evans" (#30) by orange flag UL.
Linda McFarland and Jack Johnston look on.
  
Close-up of Maxilla near seeping cliff face.
 
  




Nov 08: White arrows point to Maxilla.


 
 

  
Nov 08: Notice available sunlight after leaf-fall.
Lee Barnes and Linda McFarland at R.


 


Nov 08: "Maxilla Evans" specimen is visited by her daughter, Sara Evans and dog Guy Noir. (Maxilla died in 2007, before anyone began planning the introduction of Torreya.)
  
Maxilla planted native species on this land
including Shortia pictured here Nov 08.
 
 

Wild Ginger in November, along the path to Maxilla.


 

  
Partridge Berry planted by Maxilla (Nov 2008).


 

Lee Barnes with Maxilla tree early 2009.

Lee Barnes took this photo of the weeping rock wall
near the Maxilla tree in January 2010, following bitter cold.



September 23, 2010: noonish on sunny day;
hand at top of tree (photos by Connie Barlow)

 

  
9/23/10: side view; mottled sunlight

 
 


9/23/10: tiny green bud for central crown growth
  
May, 2011 new growth (photo by Chuck Dayton)
 


This specimen is on the west side of the Evans property on an east-facing moist slope of a ravine that has a perennial creek running N-S through it. Twenty feet upstream of this "Maxilla" specimen is an intermittent springs/falls, which streams down some vertical bare rock walls and empties directly into the creek. (3,400 feet elevation)

LEFT (May 18, 2012): A lot of hydrangia and other moisture-loving deciduous plants thrive in this micro-habitat near the intermittent waterfall.

RIGHT (May 18, 2012): This specimen has both apical and lateral new growth, which appears light green. On a scale in which "Celia" specimen is rated by Lee Barnes as a 10, this specimen is a 9.


ABOVE BOTH PHOTOS (May 18, 2012): Notice the deciduous magnolia (Umbrella magnolia?) The seeping rock wall is directly behind Lee Barnes. Maxilla's cremains were scattered in the forest above the weeping wall.


LEFT (May 18, 2012): In addition to the luxurient new top-canopy growth, this specimen is "hedging its bets" by ensuring that both of its small basal coppice stems have apical and lateral new growth, too.

RIGHT (May 18, 2012): Hydrangia, meadow rue, and Christmas fern are very evident in this photo. "Maxilla" is in lower left corner.



NOTE: Spring 2013 photos below taken April 24 on an overcast day, but spring was delayed nearly 2 weeks, so it is more like April 10. Thus, instead of light-green new growth photographed above in spring 2012, there is only light-green leaf buds to indicate the vigor of the plant.

ABOVE LEFT (April 24, 2013): "Maxilla" Torreya is just to the right of the bamboo stake in left foreground.

ABOVE RIGHT (April 24, 2013): An upslope view down onto Maxilla. Notice the large hydrangea shrub behind. An 8' tall deciduous (umbrella?) magnolia is just opening its leaf buds, 5 feet to the right of this photo.


ABOVE LEFT (April 24, 2013): Notice the top radial layer of branches has 6 parts. This plant tends to put out the radial branches in 6 parts (in contrast to "Celia" Torreya, which always puts out just 4).

ABOVE RIGHT (April 24, 2013): Notice that this plant achieved 3.75 inches of vertical stem growth (probably in 2011), and then produced the topmost tier of 6 lateral branches in 2012.


NEW MEASURE OF HEALTH IN 2013: leaf bud count = 58 on main stem; only 1 leaf bud on the ancillary basal stem. Note that while Celia specimen has 51 leaf buds on the main stem, Celia produces only 4 radial branches in each annual layer, instead of Maxilla's 6.


ABOVE (April 24, 2013): Trillium and hepatica growing near the Maxilla Torreya.




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