Quercus laevis
Sometimes, when you get off your beaten path, whether by accident or design, you make delightful discoveries. This was the case on my Memorial Day jaunt yesterday. Coming into Screven from a different direction than my usual, I immediately noticed a sign which read “National Champion Turkey Oak”. When I turned the corner to the yard of the Screven United Methodist Church, I was met by this beauty. The American Forestry Association’s National Registry of Big Trees named this tree National Champion in 1991, listing its dimensions as: 106″ circumference, 80′ high, with a crown dimension of 55′. Obviously, some of the crown has been lost in the interim, and another Turkey Oak, in Florida, is apparently considered the current champion. Turkey Oaks are a staple of sandill and scrublands in the Deep South and most field guides suggest that they are rarely taller than 30′-50′, so this tree may still be the tallest extant of the species.
