Emeritus Champion

[landscraper]

Until I read this post, I had no idea there was a champion tree register.  Come to find out, Virginia actually ranks fourth.  Funny though that the registry says there is no entry for Eastern White Oak.  There are numerous large White Oaks so why no nominees?  Could I nominate some? 

It seems fairly easy to measure the diameter of a tree but exactly how do you measure the height and the average crown?

Hey Hardway, did you try looking on the Virginia Tech big tree registry?  It's bigtree.cnre.vt.edu (hope the link is ok) I think that is the semi-official one for Virginia.  It has numerous whopper white oaks/quercus alba listed in the state champion rankings.  One of the bigger ones (#4 on the list) is up here in Charlottesville near me - it's at the South end of the airport runway inside the security fence.  But, like someone else posted it's sometimes a case of that's the biggest one anyone has nominated.  I saw a white oak in Buckingham county that I believe was bigger than the Charlottesville oak, it was in the backyard of a house that the owner said dated to the early 1700's.  I had a picture of it on my old phone, but the phone got crunched, I'll have to go back and get a new picture if I'm ever down that way.

[Thehardway]

OK, I figured it would involve math  ;D  I think I can handle the Carpenters sqaure method.  I found the VT site and yes it does have several white oaks listed but why aren't they on the national register?  One of the largest listed at 410 was only about 15 mi. from my house at Chatham Hall.  It was a famous landmark for the school.  Unfortunately it seems 2013 marked its last year.  Likewise a storm took down another significant Oak, the one at oak tree turn at Virginia International Raceway.  About 45 min from my home.   It was an integral part of the speedways history and part of their logo. http://virnow.com/2013/07/02/oak-tree-down-2/  It is going to be cloned by VT.  2012/2013 was a hard couple years for Virginia's giant oaks, (not to mention it was the year for Cicada's)

I have a large white oak on my land and there is a very large White oak with enormous crown just up the road from my house.  The last couple years it has begun to show some signs of decline and there is some dying off in one of its central branches. I suspect it may have oak wilt. :(  I will try to snap a picture on my way home tonight and post it.  It is one I considered nominating.  I would estimate its age at close to 200 yrs.

[enigmaT120]

Way to go, SD, giving away the easy way. :(

I couldn't make them work.  My eyes don't focus on the same point, at least not when I'm looking through a lense with my right eye.  My left eye kind of wanders around.  Maybe if I had one to play with I could get better at it, or just move my head to one side so that I can use one eye to check both views.

[Thehardway]

Here are two oaks nearby my house.  The first is the one I mentioned in decline.  You can see the dead limbs,  I looked closer and it appears it has split in the middle, perhaps hit by lightning?  You can see this in the second picture.  It has two main branches but they begin  above the 4.5' mark in the 3rd picture. 

The 4th picture is another oak about 100yds away.  It is actually considerably larger in height and probably circumference but is growing crooked and has a less symmetrical crown.  Still a majestic tree. Curious to see which one scores higher.   Maybe I will get around to measure them this spring.

The last picture is the Oak at VIR.  I expect the track will look much different when I take my son to the race this weekend.  We will miss our old friend!  There are several others around I hope to check out. Some of them are amazing specimens.

  

  

  

  

 

[thecfarm]

I like that last picture.
Beside my FIL house the neighbor has a maple that is split like that oak. They drilled through the tree and put a one inch threaded rod and big washers to hold it together and from splitting more. Not all that big of a tree,maybe 1½ feet across. A wind storm made it open up.

[coxy]

there is a lot of 16in blocks in them trees  ;D ;D