This site is a sliver of a green space in NE Atlanta on a tributary of Peachtree Creek. I inventoried exclusively on a steep East facing slope along with a few trees in a floodplain area.
I started off by entering the woods much further South than I intended, which was a blessing in disguise, allowing me to "discover" 2 particularly amazing trees- a Northern Red Oak and a Beech Tree.
Creek bed at South end of forest:
- creek bed south
This was no run-of-the-mill Beech. Upon closer inspection, I realized this would be the new city champ, which is quite impressive b/c the current champ is no slouch at 12'2" x 116'!
What a trunk!
- big beech trunk
- 14'2" x 126.9' Beech
Having both great girth and extraordinary height, this will likely be state co-champion for the species (current champ is 327 points, though I believe the height may be exaggerated at 135')
It was right along the creek and had neat little pockets in the root flares with native ferns:
- fern pockets
Next up was a magnificent Quercus rubra. This is the first confirmed over 140' in Atlanta at 141.3' tall x 10'1.5" CBH. It's also one of the tallest in the state, though I know Jess Riddle has found a few taller in the mountains. Might be a champ for the Piedmont??
- 10'1.5" x 141.3' Northern Red and Champion Beech
Next up was a remeasure of a tall Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) down in the floodplain. This skinny tree (CBH: 5'6") faces a 75' slope and has it toes in very moist substrate. Again, another impressively tall tree which may be the tallest in the state:
- 133.9' Carya cordiformis
- CaCo bark
My other remeasure was a big Quercus rubra also in the oxbow. It was 10'9.5" x 133.1' tall.
Full inventory and R10:
QuRu 10'1.5" x 141.3'*
LiTu 133.9'
CaCo 5'6" x 133.9'**
PiTa 9'5" x 129'
FaGr 14'2" x 126.9'
TiHe 6'11.5" x 126.7'
LiSt 124.9'
PiEc 6'10" x 122'
CaGl 119'
QuAl 118.1'
MaMa 1'7" x 56.9' (Bigleaf Mag.)
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R10 = 127.6' (this will rise with additional measurements on QuAl and LiTu species)
*Tallest in Atlanta and top 5 in state
**tallest in GA? Jess Riddle has documented a few of similar height in N. Georgia
The forests of Atlanta continue to surprise and amaze. Overall, in terms of diversity, tall trees, and big trees, metro-Atlanta is more impressive than any other urban center east of the Mississippi (aside from possibly Memphis?).
Cheers,
~Eli
