By ASHTON CH APMAN
At least 10 forest monarchs of
North Carolina have made the sylvan
“social register" originated in 1940 by
The American Forestry Association
and periodically revised.
Other trees still growing in Tar-
heelia which have attained outstand¬
ing trunk circumferences, heights and
limbspreads could perhaps be accepted
for this important roster if tree lovers
of North Carolina were as active in
searching out and reporting the most
massive trees of this state as natural¬
ists, professional and amateur, have
been in finding and reporting the big¬
gest trees of various species in other
states, especially Michigan, California,
Maryland and Florida.
As at present listed by The Ameri¬
can Forestry Association, the largest
Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) ,
the lovely, graceful evergreen known
also as “spruce pine,” is growing in
the Dunn's Rock section of Transyl¬
vania County. Its circumference mea¬
sured at “breast height-’ (four and a
This country’s largest holly tree was
originally listed by the AFA as grow¬
ing in Pamlico County, North Caro¬
lina. As reported by John L. Gray of
Raleigh, it measured 1 1 feet, 1 Vz
inches in circumference, towered to
72 feet and had a spread of 45 feet.
This
Гаг
Heel monarch of the species
so popular at Christmas was subse¬
quently deposed by a holly reported
growing in Liberty County, Texas, with
a circumference of 13 feet, four inches,
a height of 53 feet and limbspread of
61 feet.
Another former Tar Heel champion
tree was the famous “Big Lynn” ( Tilia
heterophylla ) at Little Switzerland,
which was cut down in January, 1965.
because it had become a hazard to
traffic on NC-226A which it over¬
hung. This majestic tree, estimated to
have been between 500 and 600 years
old, was a traditional resting place
for the “Over Mountain” men en route
to the Battle of Kings Mountain in
October, 1780. It was also widely
known as “The Marryin’ Tree,” from
the number of weddings which took
Lost stand of the famous "Big Lynn" (linden)
tree at Little Switzerland, before it was cut down
Jan. 11, 1965, The man is John P. Johns, of the
Big Lynn Lodge. The trunk, hallow to a height of
more than 30 feet, was damaged by diseosc,
insects and fire.
Champion Trees of Tarheelia
Ten are the nation's largest of their
species, and there may be more.
half feet above the ground) to meet
AFA requirements, is nine feet, four
inches, its height has not been accu¬
rately determined.
This country’s largest shortleaf pine
( Pirns echinata ) is growing in Burke
County and was reported to the AFA
by A. H. Maxwell of Morganton. This
national champion rises to a height
of 146 feet, with a limbspread of 60
feet and a trunk circumference of 10
feet, seven inches. To naturalists, the
greatest beauty of this species is its
heavy armor of rosy-orange plates of
bark.
The largest red spruce ( Picea
rubens) listed in the AFA registry is
growing on the North Carolina side
of the Great Smoky Mountains Na¬
tional Park, reported to the AFA by
Landon Ray of Asheville. It is 13
feet, 10 inches in circumference and
106 feet tall. The limbspread is 45
feet. This species is noted for the
orange-rind aroma of the needles when
crushed between one’s fingers. The
wood has many uses and is preferred
by some manufacturers for musical
instruments such as guitars, mandolins,
pipe organs, pianos and violins.
THE STATE, June 1, 196B
place beneath its mighty branches,
which had a spread of 61 feet. Its
height was 80 feet, and its circum¬
ference 13 feet, nine inches. This once
beautiful linden had been so ravaged
by weather, disease, insects and fire
that its great trunk had become a
mere hollow shell. It was W. L. Beas¬
ley of Carthage who reported this tree
for the AFA registry.
The country’s first champion sour-
wood tree ( Oxydendrum arboreum)
was reported by the late James
Hutchins of Yancey County. It stands
in Pisgah National Forest near Buck
Creek Gap on the Blue Ridge Park¬
way. With a circumference of seven
feet, four inches and a spread of 35
feet, it towers to 65 feet. In 1961
this mighty tree had to yield its title
of champion to one on the Tennessee
side of the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park as reported by Ar¬
thur Stupka, park naturalist and au¬
thor of books and articles on nature
subjects. This new sourwood champion
has a circumference of seven feet,
seven inches, a height of 80 feet and
a limbspread measuring 40 feet,
Stupka has been responsible for a
number of other trees in the Great
Smokies Park being recognized as the
champions of their species. Most of
these are on the Tennessee side but
two are on the North Carolina side
of the park.
One of these Tar Heel “champs”
is a specimen of the grotesquely twisted
devil’s walking stick ( A ratio spinosa)
measuring two feet, three inches
around the trunk, with a height of
26 feet and a spread of 20 feet. The
other is an American hornbeam (Car-
pin us caroliniana ) which has a cir¬
cumference of seven feet, seven inches,
a height of 42 feet and limbspread
of 30 feet. This species is easily identi¬
fied by its beautifully fluted stems and
branches, the trunk and boughs spiraled
by low, rounded ridges like twisted
“muscles.”
In addition to the large sourwood,
James Hutchins reported the witchhazel
(Humamelis virginiana) which still re¬
tains the title of national champion of
its species. It has a trunk circumference
of two feet, one inch, a height of 25 feet
and a limbspread also of 25 feet. This
species is best known for its forsythia-
( Continued on page 25)
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