How old are these huge Beech trees?

[tsharp]

There is an AMerican Beech in the yard of a house my parents own...... I have measured the circumfrance at breast height to 218 inches.

Adam: I believe this may be the largest circumference American Beech that any ENT has posted about. Congratulations. You should document the location.
TSharp

[tomhoward]

Adam, NTS,

That is a huge Beech tree! It really is hard to tell how old Beech trees are without counting the rings. The Beech trees in the old growth Liverpool, NY Maple Grove are much smaller, but remarkably old. In Apr. 2012 I counted 283 rings on the cross-section of a log of a fallen Beech tree.

Tom Howard

[greenent22]

Anyone out there know alot about Beech trees? I know that in my hunting I rarely find "Large ones". Thier not known to reach a great circumference and are slower growers. Below I have a photo of a Beech that is 14'7" CBH and well over 100' tall. This is by far the largest Ive come across. Any idea on the age of the tree? I also found a couple that are over 11' CBH and very tall.

Wow that giant one is amazing. What a find. That one looks like true old-growth for sure! I've aged some in NJ, that are only half that thick to 170. THose are some gnarly roots on it and cracking base bark. You do live in a more southern and fertile part of the state, but that said it has got to be old. I'd say well over 200 years old for sure. It's no copper beech and it's no lawn tree.

[greenent22]

DJ,

The smaller tree is in a city park in Mullica Hill NJ. The larger tree is actualy on the outskirts of an old growth forest (Saddlers Woods), here in Jersey.

Ah, if that is near Saddler's Woods then that explains it. Certainly old-growth and certainly very old as I had thought.