London Grove White Oak

[wodewose]

This Penn Oak is famous around the Kennett Square area. It can be found in the yard of the London Grove Quaker Meetinghouse. According to their lore, it was already a notable tree in 1683 when William Penn chartered Pennsylvania. That makes it at least 335 years old. Although I believe it to be pre-colonial, at 400 years +, Scott Wade believes it to be maybe around 350yrs old. In any case, it is a truly magnificent tree. Though not especially tall, it is approximately 7 feet or more in diameter with a spread of over 180 feet. The bottom limbs alone are 3 feet or more in diameter. I've never seen another oak like it!

[tclikesbigtrees]

I have seen that oak a couple of times. Yes it is a magnificent tree. There are also some big white oaks in New Jersey that have been mentioned on these forums, if you look in the New Jersey part of the site.

Tom

[Erik Danielsen]

Beautiful. Great open-grown white oaks like this are always a special thing to see. I've measured a number of them between New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, but none with a limb spread that hit 180'! That is quite a crown, and all the more remarkable as none of the limbs visible in the photo rest on the ground (as many of the broad-reaching oaks do).

[tclikesbigtrees]

The spread for that tree is 117 feet as per the Pennsylvania champion tree website.

Tom

[Erik Danielsen]

I assumed that the 180' figure was for the maximum limb spread. The figure on the champion tree website would be average spread, right? The figures are potentially compatible.

[wodewose]

The spread for that tree is 117 feet as per the Pennsylvania champion tree website.

Tom

The PAbigtrees website is more accurate than I am! I must be misremembering the figure, so exaggerated...