Tree Information
Common Name: chinkapin oak
Scientific Name: Quercus muehlenbergii
Native/Naturalized: Native to Virginia
Database ID: 176
Status: alive
National Champion: yes
Virginia Champion: yes
Circumference: 287 in.
Height: 66 ft.
Crown: 113 ft.
Points: 381
Date Last Measured: 2018
Last Measured by: Eric Wiseman
Date First Measured: 1990
Comments: Declared national champion in 2019. In 2020, national co-champion with tree in Ohio. The elder Mr. Strickler, who is now deceased, was very proud of the tree and there is a plaque commemorating the tree. The tree is in very good health and appears structurally stable. It gets quite a bit of foot traffic around its base due to the interest of visitors. Hopefully it can tolerate this love. Also, a sycamore located to the northwest is starting to encroach on its crown. Would be nice to see some crown reduction pruning performed on the sycamore to minimize its competition.
This tree was a challenge to measure given its location on a steep slope and the inaccessibility of the crown over the river. To measure the trunk, a mid-slope position was established on its northeast side. There it was measured at 4.5' above the ground line, just above a large burl. The crown was measured using a missing line routine whereby the distance and direction is measured to points on opposite sides of the crown from a fixed position and then the Law of Cosines is used to calculate the crown spread.
More Photos
Location of Tree
Tree is located in: Rockingham
Land Owner: Edward L. Strickler Jr.
GPS Coordinates: 38.38055, -78.67174
Owner Email: edwardnvirginia@hotmail.com
Directions: It is located off of Route 33E at Massanutten. If you are going East on 33, make a right onto Mt. Olivet Church Road at the intersection of 33 and Mt. Olivet Ch. Road. (You would make a left if you were going to Massanutten). Go 2 miles and the Road ends. Take a left onto Waterloo Mill Lane and go about 500 ft. The tree is on the right of the road on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.
Owner Address: 104 Russell's Way
Farmville, VA 23901
Owner Phone: 434-953-5339
Contact Information
Contact Name: Edward Strickler
Contact Email: edwardnvirginia@hotmail.com
Contact Phone: 434-953-5339
Nominators
Original Nominator(s): Thomas S. Holland
Additional Information
Our Partners
