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TOPIC: Big Old Black Gum measured today
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/f100d545ad00fce3?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Sep 11 2008 12:05 pm
From: pabigtrees


ENTS

I finally relocated our state champion Black Gum today after three
years of looking on and off. The address that was recorded in 1993
was listed as Timber Hill Rd Phoenixville, which doesn't exist. I
finally found a reference to the tree in a 1932 copy of a book and
found it was on Tinker Hill Rd in Phoenixville. The area had been
developed a while back, and now the tree is on a different street
altogether. The tree was believed to be 325 years old, Young for
Black Gum, right? Upon seeing the tree it fell into the theory of
mine that in colonial times and into the 1800's, folks planted fast
growing trees on the south side of their house for "air conditioning"
keeping them cool in summer and warmer in winter. This is fairly well
known, but I started estimating age of the trees by when the house was
built. Often the ages I come up with are much more sensible, although
not proven. The Black Gum shades a 1729 stone farmhouse that sits up
on a knoll. Black Gum tends to like a different location and there
weren't any other Black Gum growing in the vicinity. My guess is the
tree is around 280 years old rather than 325. Check out the
picture!

http://www.pabigtrees.com/trees/images/trees%20by%20county/chester/pictures/tinker%20hill%20black%20gum%20small%2008.jpg

Measurements are as follows:

1932 12'cbh
1982 14'2 cbh
1999 14.9 cbh
2008 15.1 cbh 74.1 tall with a 107' spread

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Big Old Black Gum measured today
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/f100d545ad00fce3?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Wed, Sep 17 2008 8:24 pm
From: "Jess Riddle"


Scott and Tony,

That black gum is spectacular. I've never seen one anywhere near that
large in circumference or with near that limb mass. The crown
structure really gives the tree a lot of character. Given the size of
the trunk and quantity of large limbs it seems like in terms of
volume, it must be in the running for the largest ENTS has seen. A
taller, slimmer tree on the Tennessee side of the Smokies is the only
one I know of that may be larger. I think it would be great to get a
volume estimate for the tree; only for a few species does have
estimates of their maximum volume, and that tree looks like a good
place to start for black gum. Determining the volume would take quite
a bit of effort since a series of circumference would need to be taken
going out each of the limbs in addition to the main trunk, but it
would be great to have that data. Nice find!

Jess