This white oak is about 330-years-old and was a sapling in the late 1600s, historian says. Photos by Bill Zufelt.
One of South Etobicoke’s oldest tree, a 330-year-old white oak is suffering from an infection of Sulphur Fungus and may have to be taken down soon.
The tree, which is dubbed Great 335 of Thorncrest, is located at Islington Avenue and Great Oak Drive, is starting to show its age.
“Sadly it will have to be taken down soon,” said Bill Zufelt, of Long Branch Neighbourhood Association History and Culture Committee. “The majestic white oak has watched over its Islington neighbourhood for centuries.”
Zufelt said the tree’s trunk measures five metres around and based on its circumference, he calculates that it is about 330 years old.
The white oak is suffering from an infection of Sulphur Fungus and may have to be taken down soon.
“It could have been a sapling in the late 1600s,” he said.
Zufelt said the land was leased by settler Jacob Smith in 1787 to build an inn. The inn was never built and in 1820 the land was rented for farming, in which the tree was a natural landmark.
He said a large branch has broken from the tree during a storm.
“It’s a great tree, having survived not just for decades but for centuries,” Zufelt said. “When I go up close to its trunk I think about how much it has experienced in its 300 plus years.”
He wants people to honour the tree before it reaches the end of its life.
City staff said there are no plans to remove the tree and it is considered to have heritage potential.