I admire the beautiful trees on Lookout Mountain and love the diversity that I have in my yard. The variety of plants reflects the native community in our region including trees, shrubs, and flowers that are part of our natural landscape. We have many mature trees on the mountain including an American Elm in my yard that is over 120 years old.
One of my favorite trees is a northern white oak (quercus alba) that sits off a parking lot for Good Shepherd Episcopal Church near the corner of Scenic Highway and Franklin Road on Lookout Mountain. This tree is quite tall with a wide spread; it has done quite well since the parking lot was created in the mid 1950s. Given the size of this tree, I wondered its age as well as what has happened since it sprouted from an acorn. I searched the Internet to see how to determine a tree’s age and saw that you measure the circumference of the tree at chest height (about 4 ½ feet) then divide by Pi (3.1416). This gives you the diameter of the tree. In order to determine the tree’s age, you then multiply the diameter by its growth rate. White oaks have a growth rate of five.
On a beautiful clear Sunday a few weeks ago, I took my father’s flexible cloth measuring tape along to the white oak in the parking lot. I determined the appropriate height to measure, tacked the tape to the tree and measured a circumference of 146 inches (12.17 feet). I divided the circumference in inches by pi and then multiplied by a white oak growth rate of 5. This tree in the parking lot is approximately 232 years old. A method that is more precise is to take a core sample of the tree which would reveal the annual growth rings of the tree. So, this very large tree germinated in roughly 1793 from an acorn.
Imagine what has happened on Lookout Mountain since the 1790s long before roads were built or rail lines linked the area at the foot of the mountain. For sure we had extensive wildlife, forests, birds and more. This tree has provided essential food and cover for wildlife, insects and birds.
This tree had grown tall by the time of the Civil War and could have sheltered encampments of soldiers and support troops beneath its spread. Early United States geologic maps will show our area and its development over the years. Historical maps of Lookout Mountain will also reveal the development of trails and roads along with early structures.
After noting the age of this tree to friends on the mountain, one noted that an older white oak was no more than 150 feet away. I walked over to this tree, measured it and found that it was over 16 feet in circumference with an age of over 300 years. I doubt that either of these trees are records for Tennessee, but they are quite glorious and a precious acknowledgment of nature in our area.
I am sure that there are many mature trees on Lookout Mountain that have survived storms as well as development of the years. If you would like assistance in determining the age of a tree in your yard, help can be provided. Mature trees such as the white oaks off Franklin Road are rare and there may be more to acknowledge and celebrate. A walk on the many trails on Lookout Mountain as well as Point Park could point out many other mature trees. Send a note if you would like assistance in determining the age of a tree in your yard.
by John Pine
One of my favorite trees is a northern white oak (quercus alba) that sits off a parking lot for Good Shepherd Episcopal Church near the corner of Scenic Highway and Franklin Road on Lookout Mountain. This tree is quite tall with a wide spread; it has done quite well since the parking lot was created in the mid 1950s. Given the size of this tree, I wondered its age as well as what has happened since it sprouted from an acorn. I searched the Internet to see how to determine a tree’s age and saw that you measure the circumference of the tree at chest height (about 4 ½ feet) then divide by Pi (3.1416). This gives you the diameter of the tree. In order to determine the tree’s age, you then multiply the diameter by its growth rate. White oaks have a growth rate of five.
On a beautiful clear Sunday a few weeks ago, I took my father’s flexible cloth measuring tape along to the white oak in the parking lot. I determined the appropriate height to measure, tacked the tape to the tree and measured a circumference of 146 inches (12.17 feet). I divided the circumference in inches by pi and then multiplied by a white oak growth rate of 5. This tree in the parking lot is approximately 232 years old. A method that is more precise is to take a core sample of the tree which would reveal the annual growth rings of the tree. So, this very large tree germinated in roughly 1793 from an acorn.
Imagine what has happened on Lookout Mountain since the 1790s long before roads were built or rail lines linked the area at the foot of the mountain. For sure we had extensive wildlife, forests, birds and more. This tree has provided essential food and cover for wildlife, insects and birds.
This tree had grown tall by the time of the Civil War and could have sheltered encampments of soldiers and support troops beneath its spread. Early United States geologic maps will show our area and its development over the years. Historical maps of Lookout Mountain will also reveal the development of trails and roads along with early structures.
After noting the age of this tree to friends on the mountain, one noted that an older white oak was no more than 150 feet away. I walked over to this tree, measured it and found that it was over 16 feet in circumference with an age of over 300 years. I doubt that either of these trees are records for Tennessee, but they are quite glorious and a precious acknowledgment of nature in our area.
I am sure that there are many mature trees on Lookout Mountain that have survived storms as well as development of the years. If you would like assistance in determining the age of a tree in your yard, help can be provided. Mature trees such as the white oaks off Franklin Road are rare and there may be more to acknowledge and celebrate. A walk on the many trails on Lookout Mountain as well as Point Park could point out many other mature trees. Send a note if you would like assistance in determining the age of a tree in your yard.
by John Pine
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