California Woods (OH)

[George Fieo]

Matt,

What an incredible site!!! I've measured more than a dozen sycamore over 140' and one over 150', all of them growing among tulip poplars of similar age with the tulips a bit taller. Are you finding the same trend? Congrats on all your discoveries. Looking forward to more.

George

[Don]

George-
A quick aside...could you email me your contact information (email address you prefer, postal mail address), for a formal invitation?
Please send to:
Don Bertolette - forestoration@msn.com
or
Bob Leverett - dbhguru@comcast.net
Thanks!
-Don

[Matt Markworth]

Larry,

Thanks. I agree, at this point in time we just get to see little bits and pieces of what once was. I consider myself very fortunate to have a place like this to hike the trails on my way home from work. I'm usually the only person there, and to think it's within the city limits of the metropolis that is Cincinnati.

Brian,

Up here it's also very rare for them to be a major competitor in coves. There is one area where the sycamores are in close proximity and are competing with each other. The 7'1" and 6'1" CBH trees are definitely competing with each other.

S Radivoy,

I agree, it's the perfect name! The story goes that two men that were planning on going to the California Gold Rush decided to stay behind to create a town. They name it California. It was later incorporated into Cincinnati.

George,

Thanks! Yep, your observation definitely holds true here as well. I think that the sycamores are just a step behind the Tuliptrees in the ravine. The tallest Tuliptree I've measured in the ravine is 153.6' and the Tuliptrees have a little more girth.

Matt

[sradivoy]

Matt

It sounds to me like California Woods should be another designated site in Joan Maloof's Oldgrowth-forest Network. She wants one per county. Do you have contact with any of the people who mansge the property?

Bob

Old growth forests are like underwater corral reefs. The only difference is I don't have to come up for air and it's a lot less expensive. And like corral reefs, old growth forests act as sensitive barometers of the state of our planet.

[Matt Markworth]

All,

I was hiking the hills at California Woods this evening and noticed a nice honeylocust measuring 10'7" x 120.9'. This represents a new honeylocust height record for Ohio. The tree diverges into two main leaders, the largest of which has broken off, so it may have been taller.

Anyone recall measuring a 120+ footer this far north?

Matt

[Rand]

I've seen a number in 70'-80' range, but nothing even close to that sucker.

[dbhguru]

Matt,

Wow! That is off the charts. California Woods doesn't want to be left behind.

Bob

[sradivoy]

Great diversity for such a small and compact site. Not to mention the quality of the individual specimens.

[Matt Markworth]

Rand,

I don't see many honeylocusts in mature forests, so when I saw this one I was quite surprised! Of course, they're everywhere in disturbed areas.

Bob,

I agree, it doesn't want to be left behind in any way. It has a little bit of everything.

S Radivoy,

It's such a special place and shows what can happen when a place is left alone. In some cases, it has just one truly exceptional specimen of a certain species.

All,

I measured a sugar maple on the same day as the honeylocust and the sugar maple comes in at 8'8" x 118', which pushes the RHI20 for the site above the 130' mark - and this is all within an area of approximately 50 acres! California Woods is 113 acres, however the tallest trees are concentrated in one general area.

An RHI20 of 130' for such a small site must be extremely rare in the East, and I would think practically unheard of/unimaginable in the Midwest.

Here's an updated Rucker 20:

tuliptree: multi-stem x 153.6'
American sycamore: 8'11" x 152.5'
bitternut hickory: 8'4" x 151.9' OH Height Record
black cherry: 7'6" x 143.1' OH Height Record
black walnut: 7'1" x 138.9' OH Height Record

RHI5: 148’

shagbark hickory: 6'6" x 136.8' OH Height Record
yellow buckeye: 11' x 133.1' OH Height Record
white ash: 7'3" x 132.2'
red hickory: 7'6" x 130.5' OH Height Record
basswood: 8'1" x 129.2'
(American or white)

RHI10: 140.2'

red oak subgenus 128.7'
(likely rubra):
chinkapin oak: 5' x 124.5' ENTS Height Record
common hackberry: 5'10" x 122.5' ENTS Height Record
bur oak: 12.4' x 122.4' OH Height Record
American beech: 5'3" x 121.5'

RHI15: 134.8’

honeylocust: 10'7" x 120.9' OH Height Record
white oak: 8'1" x 120.1'
sugar maple: 8'8" x 118'
American elm: 8'5" x 117.2'
blackgum: 7'3.5" x 103.6'

RHI20: 130.1'

The 8'8" x 118' sugar maple:

Matt

[sradivoy]

The only thing that seems to be missing are conifers..