Johnnetta Overton Memorial Tree

On May 22, 2007, Cary Academy remembered Johnnetta Overton, Class of 2008, with the planting of an Autumn Blaze^® maple, a tree of “distinct upright oval form” which “develops brilliant, long-lasting orange-red color” in the fall and will stand 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide at maturity (Mahr).  Johnnetta’s is the first Autumn Blaze^® to grace our campus in a fitting parallel to her own vibrancy.  The school community gathered as a family beside the tree on the SEA lawn for a moving ceremony which included remarks from faculty and students, a cappella song by students, and a blessing of the tree by Mr. Overton.

Work Cited

Mahr, Susan. “Autumn Blaze^® Maple.” Horticulture Information Page. Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison. <http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/woodies/abmaple/abmaple.htm>.