Tree Information
Common Name: American plum
Scientific Name: Prunus americana
Native/Naturalized: Native to Virginia
Database ID: 1544
Status: dead
National Champion: no
Virginia Champion: no
Circumference: 47 in.
Height: 28 ft.
Crown: 29 ft.
Points: 82
Date Last Measured: 2009
Last Measured by: Jeff Kirwan and Tom Wieboldt
Date First Measured: 2009
Comments: Circumference measured at 1' above ground due to low branching. The tree was in full fruit when we visited on 8/25/09. The area is a mountain bald with many plums, hawthorns, apples and shagbark hickories. A bear and cub were seen there feeding on plums a few days later.
2020 update: A visit to the site in March 2020 found the tree to be declining. It had partially uprooted and numerous branches were broken. This mountain top bald at 3500 feet is a difficult growing environment with extreme weather and shallow soils.
Location of Tree
Tree is located in: Giles
Land Owner: U.S. Forest Service
GPS Coordinates: 37.40502, -80.68398
Directions: Located at the north end of Symms Gap on the VA-WV state line in the Peters Mountain Wilderness Area. Best access is from the Greenbrier River (W. Va.) side of the mountain, departing from the Sugar Camp trail head parking lot.
Contact Information
Contact Name: Jeff Kirwan
Contact Email: jkirwan@vt.edu
Contact Phone: 540-231-7265
Contact Info: Tom Wieboldt - wieboldt@vt.edu
Nominators
Original Nominator(s): Tom Wieboldt and Jeff Kirwan