Tree Information
Common Name: Alleghany serviceberry
Scientific Name: Amelanchier laevis
Native/Naturalized: Native to Virginia
Database ID: 2009
Status: alive
National Champion: yes
Virginia Champion: yes
Circumference: 113 in.
Height: 69 ft.
Crown: 47 ft.
Points: 194
Date Last Measured: 2020
Last Measured by: John Peterson, Kevin Sigmon, Brenden Blevins, Eric Wiseman
Date First Measured: 2013
Comments:
Declared national champion in 2020. This tree was first discovered in spring 2013 by Byron Carmean, Gary Williamson, and Jeff Kirwan. They were riding rural roads in the area looking for serviceberry in bloom because a botanist had told them that the area was prime habitat for large specimens. This tree was spotted from the car on a distant pasture hillside. Tree previously measured at 143" girth, 64' tall, and 70' spread, totaling 225 points.
The tree resides in a mountain valley in the north shadow of Mount Rogers. The current owner's grandfather cleared the pastures and built the home on the property after WWII. An old woven-wire fence is attached to the tree, demarcating the boundary of one of the pastures. The tree resides halfway down the slope of a steep gulley where an intermittent streams passes through a rhododendron thicket. The tree is in fair condition, but is old-aged for a serviceberry, and starting to shows signs of diminishing vitality. No immediate threats are evident for the tree, although one of the leaders has an extensive column of decay.
The tree was officially measured in spring 2020 with laser hypsometer and modified trunk measurement techniques due to the codominant leaders.
The tree possesses three distinct stems. The central stem has the greatest girth, but the right (east) stem twists around to become the dominant leader with the greatest height and vitality (flowering profusely in the photos). A seam of included bark is evident between each stem running from ground line up to 4'-5' above ground. It is hard to discern from outward examination whether the stems share a pith union above ground line. Knowing the typical growth habit of the species, the secondary stems developed as suckers on the root collar early in the trees life and have persisted as codominant leaders. More likely than not, this is a tree that developed from a single seed.
The circumference of each stem was measured above the bark inclusions where the stems diverged at 4'-5' above mid-slope position. The stem measurements from left to right (west to east) were 63", 71", 62" - yielding a composite circumference of 113". The smallest common girth of the fused stems measured 131" at 2' above the mid-slope position.
More Photos
Location of Tree
Tree is located in: Smyth
Land Owner: Phillip Blevins
GPS Coordinates: 36.679892, -81.582353
Owner Email: Private
Directions: Top of tree is visible from house. From the house, cross over stream, walk up the hill (pasture), just over the crest of the hill. At top of hill.
Owner Address: 823 Laurel Valley Rd
Troutdale, VA 24378
Owner Phone: Private
Contact Information
Contact Name: Eric Wiseman
Contact Email: pwiseman@vt.edu
Contact Phone: 540-231-5148
Nominators
Original Nominator(s): Byron Carmean, Gary Williamson, and Jeff Kirwan
Additional Information
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