ENTS Maximum Ages for Eastern Trees

The oldest official counts for ages of eastern trees are posted on Neil Pederson's Eastern OLD-List. Of the 310 species listed in eastern US (Audubon Field Guide), only 54 have "official" cross-dated ages. I want to collect ages from as many of the other species as possible from ring counts on stumps and cores. So I am asking ENTS members count everything you find, write down your information on where, when, who, and how and send them to me.  Check on the current age listings on Neil's website: http://people.eku.edu/pedersonn/oldlisteast/  for the most detailed information.

At this stage the primary goal is to collect ring count ages from any tree that is not on Neil Pederson's Eastern Old-List.  In addition I would like to include any tree ring counts that exceed the maximum ages that appear on the list, or that are comparable in age to those appearing on the list.

There is some inherent inaccuracies with ring counts. There may be false rings or missing rings, but these limitations are understood within the context of the methodology. They are trivial compared to the degree of error in field guides. Better age range information will be valuable when considering the ecology and history of the small patches of old growth we are finding and documenting.

For foresters and field people there will be a tenancy to not count rings on some stumps because you "know" there are older examples out there that you have seen. However at this point, there is such a paucity of good numbers, I would encourage you to count what you find. If we get older counts later so much the better, but the goal now is to get something more reasonable. Along access roads there may be shrub-sized species, like witch hazel for example, cut that are not normally harvested. Numbers for these species would be useful also.

A next step for the project, and one that can begin simultaneously, is the use of all collected data, both for "new" species and for old, to plot the ages known for various forests, and forest sections. This will allow a development of a beginning geographic data base of the age of various forests, and allow us to better understand and investigate the age structure of forest we are visiting and investigating.

Edward Frank

Common Name Species Name Age Count Eastern OLD-List Age Category Location Sample Type Date Counted Collector Comments
Alternate-leaf dogwood Cornaceae Cornus alternifolia L. f. 24     GSMNP, TN core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
American Basswood Tilia americana 122       Zoar Valley, NY   RC- Complete core     Diggins Bulletin of ENTS, Summer 2007  (*2)
American Beech Fagus grandifolia 366 204 VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1) 
American Beech Fagus grandifolia 233   204   Zoar Valley, NY   RC- Complete core     Diggins Bulletin of ENTS, Summer 2007  (*2) 
Biltmore Ash Fraxinus americana L. 107+     Stateline Slopes - Pigeon River Gorge, TN core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly dry oak-pine forest
Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformes 110+     Green Knob Slopes, NC core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly high elevation red oak forest
Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformes 143+     Pigeon River Gorge, TN core ring count (partial) 2006 Josh Kelly rich cove forest
Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformes 168+     Black Mountains, NC Core ring count   Josh Kelly http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis 178     East Fork Chattooga River, SC core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis 167       Zoar Valley, NY   RC-In complete core    Diggins Bulletin of ENTS, Summer 2007  (*2)
Black (Sweet) Birch Betula lenta 378   VO Wright Tract, NC core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm   [E. OLD-List 361]
Black Birch Betula nigra 156     Zoar Valley, NY   RC- Complete core   Diggins Bulletin of ENTS, Summer 2007  (*2)
Black Cherry Prunus serotine 167+     Upper Jones Creek, NC core ring count (partial) 2006 Josh Kelly northern hardwood forest
Black Cherry Prunus serotine 258   VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1)
Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia 146     Joyce Kilmer Wilderness Area, NC Trail cut log   Riddle Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Black Oak Quercus velutina 187+ 257   Milksick Knob, NC core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly montane oak-hickory forest 
Black Oak  Quercus velutina 176 257    Srs of St. Francis, Philadelphia PA  ring count 2007 Scott Wade (*5) 
Carolina Hemlock Tsuga caroliniana 91+ 307   Shope Creek Oak-Carolina Hemlock forest core ring count 2006 Josh Kelly

91 years in 20 cm.  montane oak forest 
Chestnut Oak Quercus montana 331+ 427   Ed Top, NC core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly chestnut oak forest 
Chestnut Oak Quercus montana 352+ 427   North of Nolichuck River, TN core ring count   Josh Kelly  
Chestnut Oak Quercus montana 377+ 427   Wildes Knob, NC core ring count 2006 Josh Kelly chestnut oak forest 
Devil's Walking Stick Aralia spinosa 32     GSMNP, NC trail cut  2007 Riddle 25" cbh http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/sumac_cookie.htm 
Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoids 116       Zoar Valley, NY   RC- Complete core     Diggins Bulletin of ENTS, Summer 2007  (*2)
Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadiensis 308+ 555   Shinbone Creek Ridge, NC core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly acidic cove forest 
Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadiensis 310+ 555   Maple Bald Creek, NC core ring count   Josh Kelly  
Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadiensis 329+ 555   Pigeon River Gorge, TN core ring count 2006 Josh Kelly rich low elevation cove forest
Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadiensis 536 555 VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1) 
Eastern Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana 50*     GSMNP, TN core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Fraser Magnolia Magnolia fraseri 130     GSMNP, NC core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Live Oak Quercus virginiana 134     South Mississippi cross-section   Tucei Pederson http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/mississippi/liveoak_ages/live_oak_ages.htm 
Mockernut Hickory Carya alba (tometosa) 202     Srs of St. Francis, Philadelphia PA  ring count 2007 Scott Wade (*5)
Mountain Winterberry Ilex montana 78*     GSMNP, TN core ring countt 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Norway Spruce  Picea abies 172     Srs of St. Francis, Philadelphia PA  ring count   Scott Wade (*5)
Red Maple Acer rubrum 310 300 VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1) 
Rosebay Rhododendron Rhododendron maximum L. 134*     GSMNP, NC core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Projecthttp://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Silverbell Halesia carolina 197     GSMNP, TN core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum 136*     GSMNP, NC core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina 21     Prescottville, PA cross-section 2006 Frank http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/sumac_cookie.htm 
Striped Maple Acer pensylvanicum L. 69     GSMNP, NC core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
Sugar Maple Acer sacchrum 243 280   Erie. PA ring count incomplete 2007 Dale Luthringer http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/penna/erie_big/erie_big_tree_tour.htm (*4) 
Sugar maple Acer saccharum 420 280 VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1) 
Tulip Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera 377 434   Laurel Knob, NC core ring count 2006 Josh Kelly rich cove forest 
White Ash Fraxinus americana 141 136   GSMNP, TN core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
White Ash Fraxinus americana 158+ 136   Upper Jones Creek, NC core ring count 2006 Josh Kelly northern hardwood forest
White Ash Fraxinus americana 260 136 VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1) 
White Basswood Tilia heterophylla 154     GSMNP, NC core ring count 2006-07 Riddle and Blozan Tsuga Search Project http://www.nativetreesociety.org/dendro/maximum_ages_for_eastern_trees.htm 
White Oak Quercus alba 300+ 464   Shope Knob, NC core ring count 2006 Josh Kelly  [E. OLD-List 464]
White Oak Quercus alba 305+ 464   Milksick Knob, NC core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly montane oak-hickory forest 
White Oak Quercus alba 320+ 464   Beauty Spot Slopes, NC core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly high elevation red oak forest 
White Oak Quercus alba 336+ 464   Flint Mountain, NC core ring count   Josh kelly  
White Oak Quercus alba 338+ 464   Upper Yougs Camp, NC core ring count 2007 Josh Kelly montane oak-hickory forest 
White Oak  Quercus alba 276+ 464   Cliff Ridge, NC core ring count 2006 Josh Kelly montane oak hickory 
White Pine Pinus strobus 370 409 VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1) 
Yellow Birch  Betula alleghaniensis 366 387 VO Tionesta, PA   ~1943   Hough and Forbes, 1943 (*1) 
Yellow Buckeye Aeseulus flava