January 11,2012
New features added to the website
Please notice our new features added recently. We now have a Paypal button for purchasing the new register. It is located on the lower right of our home page.
We have also added a new list of the tallest trees in the state. Trees accepted to this list MUST be measured with the ENTS, laser/clinometer method to be valid. The list is populated right now for testing, and will be cleaned up soon.
We have also identified some trees as Multistemmed. This appears in the upper right corner of the individual tree page. Multistemmed trees are trees branching into co-dominant stems below 4.5'. Please celebrate the largest of the single stems along with the largest of the multistemmed trees. Other identifiers are Penn Charter tree (believed to be 325 years old), and national champion (largest in the country) Enjoy!
December 30,2011
back issues still available
We still have back issues of the register for sale if anyone is interested. I have (1) copy of the 1993 issue and several of the 2006 issue. Only $10 shipped each. Thanks, Scott
You can place your order here
December 23,2011
A couple of Penn Charter trees found recently
The other day I went searching for Penn Charter trees from the 1982 book "Penn's Woods" I wanted to see if I could find the Pusey Oak and the Strawbridge Oak in S. Chester Co. I found the Pusey oak (named after Caleb Pusey) fairly easily, but it had been badly damaged in a storm this fall. A shame. The Strawbride Oak (Strawbridge and Clothier) was gone! as it fell victim to a lightning strike years ago as per a neighbor. Not all was lost, as I found a huge sycamore on the same property. The house it shades dates to 1729, and the sycamore could very well be that old. A great day of tree hunting.
Yesterday I stopped to see a recent nomination at the Concord Friends Meeting of Basswood. Funny thing is I looked for trees here a couple of years ago when someone told me about a big Franklin tree out front. I somehow missed this second place tree.
December 21,2011
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
I hope everyone has a nice holiday season. Thank you for the support thus far in purchasing the 2011 Big Trees Book. They are flying off the shelf. You can find the book for sale at Longwood Gardens, Tyler Arboretum, The Reading Museum and Morris Arboretum. They make a great gift at any time! Only $15 with eleven of that going to support this program directly. No CEOs or overhead here! Thanks Scott
Below is an Osage Orange from White Clay Creek Preserve in southern Chester county, recently nominated
September 16,2011
The 125th anniversary edition is now available!!
Available for purchase at $15, the new 2011 register celebrating our 125th anniversary is finally available. Contact Scott at wades@comcast.net to get your copy, or mail $15 to 5 Prince Eugene Ln, Media Pa 19063. Shipping is included. Remember, this is our only fundraiser to keep the program alive. We are unsupported financially and need your support to keep the website up. Any proceeds benefit the Pennsylvania Forestry Assoc. Thank you! Scott
August 30,2011
Trees lost in Irene.
So far we have lost two trees to the hurricane. A Bur oak in Delaware county at Shemin Landscape supply, and the Lafayette Sycamore was badly damaged at Valley Forge Park. Just before the storm we lost the Champion willow oak. A sad week. We are attempting to collect ring counts from the trees, and will update you later.
August 23,2011
125th anniversary edition is soon available
The new edition is being printed as we speak. Please support the program with your purchase of a copy. The cost will be $15 and $10 of each purchase goes directly to the program. This supports the updating of the trees and the discovey of new trees,including the printing of the next edition.
July 29,2011
Purple boxes and your ash trees
Some press has come out on the purple boxes springing up along our roadways this summer. The state is trying to see how far a little asian beetle, called Emerld Ash Borer, has traveled since last season. What does this mean to you? If you own an ash tree of any species, you may lose your tree to this insect. I won't go into details about the bug, as you can search the internet easily and find all you need to know. What I can offer is a simple preventitive measure to protect your trees with out too much expense. At your local garden supply shop ask for a bag of Japanese Beetle grub control for lawns in a granular fertilizer base formulation. The insecticide in the bag should be Merit (chemical name imidicloprid) The grub control must have this listed as the active ingredient or it will not protect your tree. On the bag it will tell you application rates for ornamentals/trees. Apply the grub control at the given rate in the drip zone of the tree. A drip zone is the area of lawn or bed space under the tree from leaf tip to leaf tip, or the shadow of the tree at or near noon. Next, water the area avoiding runoff of the water for a few days to activate the chemical. The chemical will travel into the soil and then into the tree (and any other plant)the chemical will go into the sap and go throughout the tree. When Mr. beetle takes his first bite, he will die. This treatment can last about 1-2 years. Most tree companies suggest treating once a year to be sure. This treatment works for wooly adelgid on Hemlocks too. I have gone two years now and my Hemlocks are still clean. One note on hemlocks is the mites that are in the hemlocks will become really active after treatment, and you will notice needle drop shortly thereafter. This only happens once in my experiment, and the tree will be free of adelgids for several years. Once the adelgids return and reach a threshold that is detremental to the tree, treat again. Feel free to contact your local service forester for additional help fighting this new pest.
March 18,2011
Inching closer to the new edition
A big thank you to Longwood Gardens and Bartlett Tree Experts for their support of the Champion tree program. They are our sponsors for the 2011 edition of Big Trees of Pennsylvania, coming soon.
We are still in need of county volunteers to help manage the tree database. It has grown over the years to the point where one person can't handle it all. So far Jim Smoker has taken Berks Co. and Jim Mulkey has offered to help in Delaware Co, and Philadelphia Co. Be a Champion Tree Tender!
January 28,2011
updates completed
Today I added 42 more trees from Longwood Gardens. Longwood is by far the location with the most Champion trees in the state. They have also developed tours to see these particular trees. Inquire at the front desk, or online. Definitely the place for the Arborphile!
January 19,2011
Help us correct the website
Have you found an error on a page or an incorrect picture assigned to a tree? Help us out by contacting us through the webpage, or email me at wades@comcast.net. After the big overhaul, some entries were made incorrectly. OR is there a tree listed that is dead or removed? We want to know. While you are at it, find a tree near you and take a picture and measure the trunk for us. EVERYTHING is helpful.
Welcome to Jim Smoker who has volunteered to be the big tree tender for Berks Co. Thanks Jim!
January 8,2011
Happy New Year
2011 brings us to a milestone. The Pennsylvania Forestry Assoc. is 125 years old!! It is hard to believe that anyone was thinking green that long ago. We are just about finished with the 2011 register, and should be going to the printer soon. We look forward to your continued support.
December 9,2010
The sacred oak of the Oley valley for sale!
News today is that the Chinkapin oak in Berks county, one of our oldest champions, nominated in 1940, is going up for Sheriff's sale. For under 300 thousand you can own this awesome tree! It comes with a house, barn and 93 acres of awesome farmland too! Anyone out there that can preserve this tree for eternity? I am short on cash, or I would jump on it.
December 5,2010
New Website
Welcome to the new Pa Big Trees Website. Please enjoy the searchable database, a new feature. I am beginning to add trees that were received during the development process. I hope to have them uploaded in the next week or so.
Volunteer to help in your county by contacting me. I am looking for Big tree tenders to keep track of the listed trees in each county. It doesn't take much time. Trees are to be measured and photographed every three to five years to remian current.
Thank you, Scott
September 16,2010
The New Website
We are in the process of creating a new website for the home of Pa Big Trees. The new site will be searchable and not have any of the bugs from the previous software. Thank you for your donations. Those wishing to support the program further may donate any amount to the Pennsylvania Forestry Assoc. earmarked for the champion tree program. Thank you.