Posted May 13, 2025
Nina Tadych, 15, won this year's Arbor Day seed contest, organized by Montgomery Township's Shade Tree Committee and held at the Montgomery Library in April.
From left: Montgomery High School student Nina Tadych with Larry Koplik of the Shade Tree Committee.
Tadych correctly named the Locust tree (specifically a Honey Locust) as the source of the seed pods. Her guess of 52 was just two off from the actual number of 54.
Larry Koplik, chairperson of the Montgomery Shade Tree Committee, presented Tadych with her prize, a "DK Eyewitness Tree" book, in front of an American Fringe tree at her house.
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The honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a native tree in New Jersey, with a few notable characteristics. It's known for its fast growth, thorny trunk, and branches (though thornless varieties are also common), and feathery, yellow-green leaves that turn yellow in the fall. The tree also produces long, twisted seed pods that can persist into winter.
Honey Locust Tree (The Plant Image Library)
