Discovering a Centuries-Old Buttonwood Sycamore at Wight Street

One of the things that makes Medfield beautiful is its natural landscape – the Charles River, the state forest, its reservations, and the magnificent Buttonwood Sycamore at 19 Wight St.

This enormous tree has been gracing the bend of Wight and School Streets for centuries and is quite a site to see. 

I was introduced to this tree last year and we soon became fast friends. I enjoyed its wonderful, thick summer leaves; I marveled at its colorful fall foliage; I was amazed by its stark winter beauty; and I was looking forward to seeing its rebirth this spring – but when I rounded the bend last week, camera-ready and ready to be wowed, I was devastated.

The Majestic Marvel’s spring foliage had been hit by a virus!

I panicked.  My stomach fell to the ground.  I couldn’t believe it.  I called my friends to give them the bad news. Then I did what any sympathetic person would do – I called the family to express my concern.

Turns out, I’m not the only one.

Homeowner Barbara Cronin said people have been calling her to check on her tree [not her] since she and her late husband, Michael, bought the property – in large part because of the tree – in 1980.

She began by consoling me. She told me not to panic, that everything would be alright, that the first set of leaves that fall always fall victim to a virus, and that we will soon see the tree in all its glory.

Then she told me more.

The Cronin family has been maintaining the tree for more than 30 years.  They have fertilized it and pruned it, which was most recently done three years ago and was a “major, major undertaking.”

Mrs. Cronin explained there is an elaborate cable system within the Sycamore’s massive branches that works to stabilize the branches and reduce any stress to the tree. She said the family had the cables redone 10 years ago to help with weight distribution.

There is a large hole in the tree (which is naturally partially hollow inside) left from when a branch came down after a hurricane in the 1950s, Mrs. Cronin said, and “the animals and birds love it in there.”  Wood ducks nest there every year.

The tree also has a younger sister at the top of the driveway. According to Mrs. Cronin, that tree is 100 years younger and ready to take over the reins when necessary. 

The magnificent centuries-old Buttonwood Sycamore at 19 Wight St. seems to be well-reputed and well- known to Medfield residents but, if you haven’t had the pleasure of making its acquaintance, I highly recommend stopping by the next time you’re in the neighborhood – you’ll have a friend for life.

Have you seen the tree at 19 Wight St.?  What do you think?  Are there other natural wonders in Medfield that you’ve discovered?