Tallest Eastern Trees by State  

                                                                                                          

                        

1.  North Carolina       (176.4’)  (average height of three tallest species)  

  White pine            185.5’c  11’  5.0”   “Boogerman Pine” – Near eastern end of Boogerman Loop Trail, off

                                                              Caldwell Creek Trail, Palmer Branch, Cataloochee Valley, GSMNP, Haywood Co.              Blozan et al 3/29/02

  Tuliptree               176.7’     8’  1.0”d   Baxter Creek, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood Co.                         Blozan & Leverett 4/24/03
  Eastern hemlock   167.0’c  12’  8.0”   “Jim Branch Giant,” Jim Branch (west side), Cataloochee valley, GSMNP, Haywood Co.              Blozan 3/29/03

  Pignut hickory       167.0’   11’  2.0”    Small cove near Swannonoa, near Asheville.  (private property)                                                    Davie 11/23/03

       

2.  South Carolina      (169.0’)

  Tuliptree              169.1’      N/A           Southeast-facing cove, Tamassee Knob, Station Mountain, Andrew Pickens Ranger District,

                                                                Sumter National Forest, Oconee Co.                                                                                      J. Riddle 11/10/01

  White pine           168.9’       9’  7.5”     East Fork Chatooga River, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, near Walhalla State Fish

                                                               Hatchery, Andrew Pickens ranger District, Sumter National Forest, Oconee Co.                           Blozan 11/6/01

  Eastern hemlock  168.9’c   10’ 11.0”    East Fork Chatooga River, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, 1.5 mi. west of Walhalla State

                                                               Fish Hatchery, Andrew Pickens Ranger District, Sumter National Forest, Oconee Co.     Blozan & Davie 12/3/01

3.  Tennessee             (168.6’)     

  White pine         x175.0’    10’  8.5”      Rabbit Creek Trail, near Scott Gap, GSMNP, Blount Co.     (before crown breakage)                   Blozan 9/8/96

  Tuliptree              173.1’    11’  7.0”      Little Laurel Creek, Greenbrier district, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Sevier Co.                          Blozan 3/11/96

  Eastern hemlock  157.8’      6’  5..0”     Rabbit Creek, Great Smoky Mountains National Park,  Blount Co.                                                           Blozan

 

4.  Georgia                   (165.2’)  

  White pine            178.7’c  11’  3.5”    “Riddle Pine” – Laurel Creek, Chattahoochee National Forest, Rabun Co.      Blozan & Leverett before 12/11/99

  Eastern hemlock   159.0’    13’  3.0”     Ammons Branch, Chattahoochee National Forest, Rabun Co.                                                            D&J Riddle

  Tuliptree               157.9’      7’  6.0”     Till Ridge Cove, north of Patterson Gap,                                                                                 D&J Riddle 2/3/01

 

5.  Pennsylvania          (156.7’)   

  White pine            180.9’c  11’  1.5”   “Longfellow Pine” – Longfellow Trail, Forest Cathedral Natural Area, 

                                                              Cook Forest State Park, Clarion Co.                                                                              Blozan & Busch 4/20/02

  Eastern hemlock   145.3’      8’  2.5”     Swift Run (1/4 mi. upstream from Tall Timbers parking area, west of

                                                               Snyder-Middleswarth Natural Area), Bald Eagle State Forest, Snyder Co.                             Luthringer 5/14/03

  Eastern hemlock   145.3’    11’  9.5”e   Seneca Trail (ca. 25 yards from north side), Cook Forest State Park, Clarion Co.                   Luthringer 7/26/03

  Tuliptree               143.8’      N/A         Wintergreen Gorge, Erie, Erie Co.                                                                                           Luthringer 4/20/03

 

 6.  New York               (155.8’) 

 White pine            158.3’e   13’  1.0”     Elders Grove, Paul Smith’s College, Adirondack State Park, Franklin Co.                                  Stoner 10/12/03

 Tuliptree               156.0’     10’  6.0”     Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area (S), Cattaraugus Co.                                             Leverett & Luthringer 6/28/03

 Sycamore             153.0’       8’  5.0”     Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area (S), Cattaraugus Co     Diggins, Kershner, Luthringer, Stoner & Leverett 6/28/03

 

 

7.  Maryland               (149.3’)

  Tuliptree              159.9’a   12’  5.5”    South Woods (NNL), Belt Woods State Wildland, Prince George’s Co.                                    Rucker 10/28/01

  Northern red oak 144.4’a     7’  8.5”    South Woods (NNL), Belt Woods State Wildland, Prince George’s Co.                                     Rucker 11/4/01

  White oak            143.7’a   11’  1.0”    South Woods (NNL), Belt Woods State Wildland, Prince George’s Co.                                     Rucker 11/4/01

 

8.  Massachusetts      (149.1’) 

  White pine           163.2’     10’  1.0”      “Jake Swamp Tree” – Trees of Peace Grove, Todd Mountain (east side),

                                                               Mohawk Trail State Forest, Franklin Co.      (160.9’c Davie et al 10/21/01)                            Leverett 7/27/03

  White ash            147.4’      9’  5.0”      Clark Ridge (north side), Zoar Gap, Mohawk Trail State Forest, Berkshire Co         Leverett & Knuerr 3/11/02

  Eastern hemlock  136.6’    10’  2.5”      Ice Glen (M), Stockbridge, Berkshire Co.                                                                                Leverett 6/10/01

 

9.  Virginia                 (147.9’)

   Tuliptree            158.9’      13’  8.5”    James Madison Landmark Forest (NNL), “Montpelier,” National Trust for

                                                               Historic Preservation (O), Montpelier Station, Orange Co.                                        Leverett & Blozan 5/20/00

  Bald cypress      144.7’a     17’ 11.0”   Carter’s Grove, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, James City Co.                                            Rucker 7/15/02

  Am. sycamore   140.1’a        N/A        Carter’s Grove, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, James City Co.                                             Rucker 7/15/02

 

10.  Michigan             (143.9’)

  White pine          157.0’      6’  6.0”      Hartwick Pines State Park, Grayling, Crawford Co.                                                                 Blozan & Leverett

  Red pine             143.6’      6’  5.0”      Hartwick Pines State Park, Grayling, Crawford Co.                                                                                Leverett

  E. cottonwood    131.2’    12’  7.0”      Lower Huron Metro Park, west of Detroit                                                                                   Blozan 1/30/03

 

11.  New Hampshire  (134.5’)

  White pine          166.1’      8’   2.5”    Private estate, Claremont, Sullivan Co.                                                           Leverett, Knuerr & Frost 11/24/02

  White ash           122.1’      7’   5.0”    Private estate, Claremont, Sullivan Co.                                                           Leverett, Knuerr & Frost 11/24/02

  White oak          115.2’      8’  1.0”     Private estate, Claremont, Sullivan Co.                                                           Leverett, Knuerr & Frost 11/24/02

 

12.  Illinois                 (128.7’)             

  Tuliptree             129.3’    11’  4.0”      Beall Woods State Nature Preserve (NNL), Beall Woods State Park, Wabash Co.                                  Blozan

  Shumard oak      129.1’    13’  8.5”      Beall Woods State Nature Preserve (NNL), Beall Woods State Park, Wabash Co.                                  Blozan

  Pecan                 127.6’      9’  9.0”      Beall Woods State Nature Preserve (NNL), Beall Woods State Park, Wabash Co.                                  Blozan

 

13.  Connecticut         (128.6’)     

  White pine          144.6’     11’  3.5”     Gold’s Pines NAP (S), West Cornwall, Litchfield Co.                                                             Leverett & Knuerr 

  Tuliptree             127.8’     11’  3.5”     Gold’s Pines NAP (S), West Cornwall, Litchfield Co.                                                                            Leverett

  Sycamore           113.4’      7’ 11.0”     Simsbury, Hartford Co.                                                                                                                          Leverett

 

14.  Ohio                     (127.8’)

  Tuliptree             137.7’     10’  5.0”     Mill Creek Park, Youngstown                                                                                                    Diggins 7/13/03

  Am. sycamore    123.1’        N/A         Mill Creek Park, Youngstown                                                                                                    Diggins 7/13/03

  N. red oak          122.6’       9’ 10.0”   Mill Creek Park, Youngstown                                                                                                    Diggins 7/13/03

 

15.  Kentucky             (125.6’)

   Tuliptree             162.1’    10’  2.5”     Lilley Cornett Woods (state), Skyline, Letcher Co.  (National Natural Landmark)                  Luthringer 2/14/04

   White oak          108.1’    11’  0”        Lilley Cornett Woods (state), Skyline, Letcher Co.                                                                Luthringer 2/14/04

   American beech 106.7’      9’  0”        Lilley Cornett Woods (state), Skyline, Letcher Co.                                                                Luthringer 2/14/04 

 

16.  West Virginia     (116.5’)

  Eastern hemlock 130.3’     9’ 11.0”     Cathedral State Park, near Aurora, Preston Co.                                                                     Luthringer 9/26/03

  Black cherry       113.7’   11’  5.0”      Cathedral State Park, near Aurora, Preston Co.                                                                     Luthringer 9/26/03

  Red maple          105.6’     8’ 11.0”     Cathedral State Park, near Aurora, Preston Co.                                                                     Luthringer 9/26/03

 

17.  Vermont

  White pine          143.4’      8’  6.0”      Fisher-Scott Memorial Pines (NNL)(S), near Arlington, Bennington Co.                    Leverett & Knuerr 7/16/00

  Sugar maple       107.1’      6’     0”      Gifford Woods State Park, Killington, Rutland Co.                                                                                 Leverett

 

18.  Rhode Island   

  Tuliptree             115.7’    12’  1.0”    Nathaniel Green site, Kingston, Washington Co.                                                                                      Leverett

  Sycamore             90.0’    13’  3.5”    Nathaniel Green site, Kingston, Washington Co.                                                                                      Leverett

 

19.  Minnesota        

  White pine          110.7’       N/A        Lake Itasca State Park (height includes dead top)                                                                          Leverett 9/7/00

  Red pine               94.5’     6’  6.0”     Lake Itasca State Park                                                                                                            Leverett Aug 2000

 

20.  Wisconsin           

  White pine           167.0’      N/A        Menominee Indian Reservation                                                                                                     Frelich 11/5/01

 

21.  Indiana              

  Black walnut       131.0’     N/A          Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest RNA (S), Hoosier National Forest, Orange Co.                                   Blozan

 

22.  Florida

  Bald cypress       115.0’    35’  5.0”    “The Senator” - Big Tree Park, Spring Hammock Nature Park (S), General Hutchinson

                                                            Parkway, Longwood, Seminole Co.                                                                                                        Van Pelt

         

a - laser/clinometer (sine top) + pole measurement

b – Impulse laser measurement

c – climbed; drop-line measurement

d – tentative measurement

 

List compiled by Colby B. Rucker, corrected to February 2004.

 

GSMNP:  Great Smoky Mountains National Park

(M):  Municipal ownership

NNL:  National Natural Landmark

NP:  National Park

(O):  Owned by environmental organization

RNA:  Research Natural Area

(S):  State-owned