Run your hand across the bark of the ancient tree. It is craggy and weathered, splotched by moss and pale green lichens.
Now look up. You’re in the presence of a giant.
Scattered throughout East Texas are a handful of trees that have escaped the logging and clearing of the past 150 years. With help from a state program that identifies and protects the biggest of the big, many of them will still be here long after their current owners are gone.
“Big trees really capture people’s imaginations,” said Pete Smith, a Texas Forest Service employee who manages the state program called Big Tree Registry.
“Especially the biggest of the big, they really dwarf us, and I think there’s some connection that people have with the biggest trees. Of course, this is Texas, so the biggest of anything is noteworthy,” Smith said. “And finding a true champion really does spark the imagination because the tree is older than us, in all likelihood, and anything that lasts longer than a human’s lifespan we memorialize in some way.”
It’s worth noting that those saplings will grow into helpful giants that suck up carbon dioxide, release the oxygen that people breathe, hold soil in place, shade homes and provide habitat for wild animals, arborists say.
Many of the trees on the Big Tree Registry come from the counties surrounding Longview. By identifying the state’s largest pines, oaks and other species, the forest service aims to protect the arboreal specimens while sparking an interest and appreciation for trees.
“My goal is to bring these trees to the public so people can ultimately see them, if not touch them,” Smith said.
Of the nearly 20 champion trees in the Longview area, the winning loblolly pine, willow oak, wax myrtle and eastern redbud are profiled below.
LOBLOLLY PINE
Scientific name: Pinus taeda
Where: Rusk County
Circumference: 165 inches
Height: 130 feet
Crown spread: 49 feet
Measured: November 2008
Nominated by: Fred Spivey
Not long ago, Texas’ biggest loblolly pine tree on record was just one of many giant pines that grew in a forest near Mount Enterprise.
“I was raised up where that tree was,” said Fred Spivey, a Mount Enterprise timber grower. “I lived maybe four miles from there. We’d go in there and squirrel hunt with a shotgun, and those trees were so tall a shotgun wouldn’t shoot a squirrel at the top. But you could shoot it with a .22.”
By the time Spivey purchased the property in 1992, the giant pine was the only big tree left standing on the property.
“The guys that owned the land before that, they cut everything,” he said. “There could have been some trees just as big, but they cut everything. That was a shame. I would have saved all the big trees, but they done that before I bought the land. Lucky they didn’t cut this one.”
Spivey also owns the state’s No. 2 giant loblolly, on a different property in Mount Enterprise. The No. 1 tree, he estimates, is between 150 and 200 years old. He keeps the area trimmed and has planted timber around it, so it’s no longer alone in a clear-cut field.
“It worried me that lightning would strike it because it was standing by itself,” he said.
WILLOW OAK
Scientific name: Quercus phellos
Where: Harrison County
Trunk circumference: 244 inches
Height: 107 feet
Crown spread: 118 feet
Measured: August 2008
Nominated by: David Simpson
Before the Civil War, a willow oak grew on a cotton plantation in Karnack, where more than 100 slaves toiled for a pioneer woman and likely divorcee named Rebecca McIntosh Hagerty.
Later, Lady Bird Johnson’s family owned the property, known as the Phoenix plantation, and the tree continued to grow.
Today, it’s the largest known willow oak in Texas, with limbs so big they could pass for trees in their own right. Owner David Simpson estimates the oak is around 200 years old.
“It’s just a mammoth tree. It covers almost two acres of ground,” said Simpson, a timber grower who purchased the property in 2002. “We all speculate that this big old tree was probably a hanging tree at one time. Its big and low-lying limbs would suit a quick rope and noose, but that’s just pure speculation.”
The Hagerty family’s remains are buried in a little cemetery near the tree, not far from a historic barn that Simpson has converted into a lodge for his family.
When a tree doctor left a rope hanging from the oak, Simpson turned it into a swing.
“My children love to swing on it,” he said. “It’s a very enjoyable tree. It provides a lot of shade and causes you to speculate about what happened in the previous 200 years.”
WAX MYRTLE (SOUTHERN BAYBERRY)
Scientific name: Morella cerifera
Where: Gregg County
Trunk circumference: 17 inches
Height: 29 feet
Crown spread: 18 feet
Measured: July 2006
Nominated by: Dencil Marsh
Dencil Marsh was exploring a forest one day when he stumbled upon an oddly shaped tree growing in a depression on 30 acres that had been set aside for the Longview Arboretum and Gardens.
It was a wax myrtle tree, and it dwarfed the others he has seen.
“It’s a shrub or bushy tree that every rancher in East Texas tries to get rid of,” said Marsh, the arboretum founder.
“It’s a nuisance to every farmer in East Texas.”
Later, Marsh showed the wax myrtle to Stephen F. Austin State University horticulturist Dave Creech, who was in town while developing a master plan for the arboretum, which is next to the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center.
“He said, ‘Golly, Dencil, that’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen. That might be some kind of record.’ ”
Texas Forest Service employees went out to measure it, and sure enough, it was the biggest.
“Right now we’ve got the bragging rights,” Marsh said. “Now, it’s not much of a tree, but it’s not much of a bush, either.”
EASTERN REDBUD
Scientific name: Cercis canadensis var. canadensis
Where: Upshur County
Trunk circumference: 78 inches
Height: 42 feet
Crown spread: 40 feet
Measured: April 1997
Nominated by: Marie Johnson
The state’s biggest redbud is a reminder that even champions grow old and die. State forester Ken Conaway of Gilmer checked on the redbud in Ore City a week ago and found that time has taken its toll on the tree. It is no longer the magnificent specimen it was in 1997, when Marie Johnson nominated it.
“There is another contender for the title in Smith County, and I suspect it may declared the champion soon,” Conaway said in an e-mail.
2,973 responses to “Forest giants weather age, development”
I’ve learned new things via your weblog. One other thing I want to say is always that newer laptop operating systems often allow more memory to use, but they as well demand more ram simply to run. If people’s computer can not handle far more memory plus the newest application requires that memory increase, it may be the time to buy a new Computer system. Thanks
Pretty! This has been an extremely wonderful post. Thanks for supplying this info.
Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes which will make the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!
Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive learn anything like this before. So nice to seek out any individual with some unique thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for beginning this up. this web site is one thing that’s wanted on the web, somebody with a little bit originality. useful job for bringing something new to the web!
Hey! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the excellent work!
I used to be very pleased to seek out this net-site.I wished to thanks to your time for this wonderful learn!! I positively enjoying each little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.
you are really a good webmaster. The site loading speed is amazing. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Also, The contents are masterpiece. you have done a excellent job on this topic!
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my weblog thus i got here to ?return the favor?.I am trying to in finding things to enhance my web site!I assume its ok to make use of some of your concepts!!
It’s hard to come by educated people in this particular topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
After looking over a number of the blog posts on your blog, I honestly appreciate your way of blogging. I book marked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my website too and let me know what you think.
It?s actually a cool and helpful piece of info. I?m glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who was doing a little research on this. And he actually bought me dinner due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to discuss this issue here on your web site.
Everything is very open with a very clear clarification of the challenges. It was definitely informative. Your site is very useful. Thank you for sharing!
Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to claim that I get actually loved account your blog posts. Anyway I?ll be subscribing for your feeds and even I fulfillment you access persistently quickly.
This is a topic that is close to my heart… Best wishes! Exactly where can I find the contact details for questions?
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly believe this amazing site needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the advice!
Great post! We are linking to this great content on our website. Keep up the good writing.
Hi, I do think this is a great web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to revisit once again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
Hello! I simply want to give you a big thumbs up for your great info you’ve got right here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your website for more soon.
Good day! I just wish to offer you a big thumbs up for your great info you have got right here on this post. I will be returning to your blog for more soon.
Great blog you have here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours nowadays. I honestly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. After all I will be subscribing in your feed and I hope you write again soon!
It’s difficult to find experienced people about this topic, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
After I originally commented I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I receive four emails with the same comment. Is there a way you are able to remove me from that service? Thank you.
After checking out a number of the blog posts on your web page, I truly appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I bookmarked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my website too and tell me what you think.
Next time I read a blog, I hope that it won’t disappoint me just as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I truly thought you would probably have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you could possibly fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.
Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after looking at a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back frequently.
At this time it looks like BlogEngine is the top blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Thanks for your article. I would like to remark that the very first thing you will need to carry out is find out if you really need credit restoration. To do that you will need to get your hands on a copy of your credit rating. That should really not be difficult, because government mandates that you are allowed to receive one free copy of your own credit report every year. You just have to ask the right people today. You can either look into the website for your Federal Trade Commission and also contact one of the leading credit agencies immediately.
Hey there! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My blog looks weird when viewing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to resolve this issue. If you have any suggestions, please share. Thank you!
You should be a part of a contest for one of the finest blogs online. I am going to highly recommend this site!
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always helpful to read through content from other writers and practice a little something from their sites.
I’m really loving the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues? A couple of my blog readers have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any ideas to help fix this problem?
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I believe that you need to write more about this subject matter, it may not be a taboo matter but usually people do not discuss such subjects. To the next! All the best!
Can I simply say what a relief to find a person that genuinely knows what they are talking about on the internet. You certainly realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to check this out and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you most certainly have the gift.
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after looking at many of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m certainly happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!
Hi there, I think your site might be having web browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, if opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, fantastic site!
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this post and the rest of the site is very good.
You are so cool! I do not suppose I’ve truly read a single thing like this before. So wonderful to find another person with some genuine thoughts on this issue. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This site is one thing that is required on the internet, someone with a bit of originality.
Thanks for your posting. I also believe laptop computers are getting to be more and more popular today, and now will often be the only kind of computer utilised in a household. It is because at the same time that they’re becoming more and more cost-effective, their working power keeps growing to the point where they can be as robust as desktop through just a few years back.
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after going through many of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly pleased I found it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back regularly.
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who was conducting a little homework on this. And he in fact bought me lunch due to the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this issue here on your blog.
Aw, this was a really good post. Spending some time and actual effort to generate a top notch article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never manage to get anything done.
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been conducting a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner simply because I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to discuss this subject here on your blog.
Right here is the right web site for everyone who really wants to find out about this topic. You know a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a topic that has been written about for many years. Excellent stuff, just great.
Right here is the perfect web site for anybody who really wants to understand this topic. You understand so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic that has been written about for a long time. Excellent stuff, just wonderful.
Everyone loves it when people come together and share ideas. Great blog, keep it up.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I?ll try to get the hang of it!
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after going through many of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!