Long Branch Hemlock and Others, GSMNP    Will Blozan
   Aug 12, 2005 17:54 PDT 
ENTS,

Jess Riddle and I spent three days on the Tennessee side of the Smokies
exploring new areas and re-visiting known trees. Our primary goal of the
trip was to climb and measure the Long Branch Hemlock, a huge tree Jess and
his father found several years ago. The weather cooperated beautifully and
we were accompanied by Morgan Simmons of the Knoxville News Sentinel and
Kristine Johnson, Supervisory Forester for the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park (GRSM).
 

---snip---

silverbell.jpg (73618 bytes)  National Champion mountain silverbell 12.9 feet cbh X 117.4 feet tall.

After the climb Jess and I went upslope to remeasure and photograph the
2004 National Champion mountain silverbell. We found it in excellent
condition (although hollow) and upon remeasuring it, found a "new" top that
was slightly higher. Its new measurements are 12'11" X 117.4' tall, up from
a previous height of 111'.

Silverbell   Will Blozan
   Nov 01, 2004 16:00 PST 

Jess,

Excellent report and nice ash! Great to know that species is a wide spread
tall tree. What is the largest Carolina silverbell you have seen? 

...

Later, Will

Re: Silverbell   Jess Riddle
  Nov 02, 2004 06:29 PST 


The silverbell on Long Branch is still easily the largest I've seen. In
SC, one in the White Rock Scenic Area, just over the ridge from the
Walhalla Fish Hatchery, is 7'5" x ~101'. The state champion is listed at
7'7" x 94' and looks like an old column. I really haven't paid much
attention to the different varieties of northern red oak. Most of the
tall ones in SC are at the piedmont-blue ridge interface between 1250' and
1550' elevation. Two exceptions growing in more mountainous areas are the
143.8' Laurel Fork tree at about 1900' and the 152.9' record Whitewater
River tree also around 1900'.

Jess Riddle

RE: Silverbell   Will Blozan
  Nov 02, 2004 14:26 PST 

With regard to silverbell, I was referring to the Carolina (type), not the
mountain silverbell (var. monticola). The piedmont site had some nice trees,
but nothing over 4' cbh (which is pretty big, actually).

Will
Re: RE: RE: Wadakoe Mountain, Attn: Jess, Colby and Lee.   Jess Riddle
  Nov 03, 2004 15:31 PST 

The largest silverbells I've seen at a piedmont site are some slightly
over 4' cbh on the banks of the Chattahoochee River within a few miles of
downtown Atlanta.

I think all of the silverbells I've seen in SC are var. carolina. Var.
carolina reaches the overstory much more frequently in north GA than in
SC, and a number of sites support 6' cbh individuals. Brasstown Bald is
the only mountain in GA with any silverbells over 7' cbh, and has
individuals up to 8'10" cbh. However, those trees look more like the
Smoky Mountain trees, but that could also be age or growing condition
related. In general, Brasstown Bald forests bear a strong resemblance to
Smoky Mountain forests growing in exposed locations.

Jess

Re: Silverbells   Edward Frank
  Nov 03, 2004 17:12 PST 

Jess and Will,

What is the difference between Mountain Silverbell and Carolina Silverbell?
They are listed as the same in my Audubon book.

Ed Frank
Re: Silverbells   Jess Riddle
  Nov 03, 2004 18:48 PST 

The main differences I've observed between the varieties are in the bark.
The mountain variety has more dark purple in the bark and more of a scaly
structure. The bark structure differences are particularly striking in
young trees about a foot in diameter. In such cases, the carolina variety
has a ridge and furrow structure common among many other species while the
mountain variety has already developed a scaly structure. Habitat
preferences vary between the two subspecies also. Carolina is restricted
to moist habitats, but generally avoids the richest sites. Conversely,
the mountain variety is commonly a major component of the most productive
sites in the smokies. I think Will has observed several additional
differences.

Jess Riddle