Sweet Gum

Sweetbay Magnolia

The water table is only a couple of feet down in places, and most of the swamp is under fresh water. This was what I define as a true old growth forest. Never farmed, logged, or messed with in any way. I did not see any non native species the entire day, let's hope I didn't track any in! My first surprise was the offer of hip waders. I! didn't thnk of that, but luckily there were enough to go around. On the walk in we set our GPS to mark where the cars were and headed to a known point in the swamp where Dr. Thorne had been working previously with Mike. Along the way we followed the edge of a lake that only exists because they mined the sand. On the banks grew clumps of Clethra, high bush blueberry, and swamp azalea surrounded by broom sedge and other native grasses. At one point we were walking on a carpet of Cranberry, which by the way, have fermented quite nicely by the end of December (yuck!) The edge consists of Pitch pine and Virginia pine mixed with Sweetgum, Tulip poplar, black gum, and white oak. As we entered the swamp I was blown away. In the distance I spotted trunk after trunk measuring 10' cbh or better. In the swamp proper, the dominate canopy species are Sweetgum and Black gum with a rare tulip poplar here and there. 

Up shot of Black Gum

Up shot of Sweet Gum

The understory consisted of Red maple, American holly, Sweetbay magnolia! and very large shrubs of Swamp azalea, Clethra, Highbush blueberry and winterberry holly. Tying it all together, literally, was thousands of linear feet of catbrier. The canopy trees reached just over 90' tall but the CBH measurements continued up to about 60' before there was much taper at all. Hundreds of years of Atlantic storms have caused the tops to break out of the trees to form these gnarly twisted crowns that proved difficult to measure, even in December. I am Happy to say that we found a Champion Sweetbay Magnolia for NJ. Which was easy, as they didn't have one listed yet. I don't think this one will be beat, unless we come across another one in Bear Swamp.

Black gum
10.2 x 84.1
10.2 x 86.4
11.4 x 71.2

Sweet gum
12.7 x 91.3
11.9 x 87.4
10.7 x 89.2

Tulip Poplar (only one worth measuring)
9.9 x 85.6

Sweetbay Magnolia
5.4 x 64.3 x 37
5.1 x 68.0 x 34

American Holly
5.1 x 71.2
5.2
5.2
5.0

The Gums all maintained their circumference to about 60' and looked like large cylinders rising up out of the muck, it was truly breath taking

We saw swamp azaleas that were 4"dia x 15-20' tall, Highbush blueberry and Clethra in the same range.

I can't wait to get back in there. We probably saw less than 5% of the total area. Bill Sweeny and I talked about going in and camping overnight so that we could get further in. I don't know if I have the manhood to do that. New Jersey Devils and all...

We also saw a Bald Eagle and Mistletoe the size of a beach ball. Just a great time all around. In a way it reminded me of Cook, because at the right time, you couldn't hear anything but nature. NICE!

Scott

Michele