Tree Information
Common Name: black maple
Scientific Name: Acer nigrum
Native/Naturalized: Native to Virginia
Database ID: 2354
Status: alive
National Champion: no
Virginia Champion: yes
Circumference: 161 in.
Height: 75 ft.
Crown: 71 ft.
Points: 254
Date Last Measured: 2025
Last Measured by: Bella Hardaway
Date First Measured: 2015
Comments:
2025 comments: The tree remains healthy and sound.
2015 comments: Measured in 2015 by BJ Absher and Carl Absher at 148" trunk, 76' height, 74' crown, 243 points.
(From Carl Absher) There is a tree in my front yard that I have called, or heard called a sugar maple all of my life. So, I’m sitting in the swing about sun down a couple of weeks ago and happened to look at the leaves a little more closely than normal, and noticed that most of the leaves appear to be three-lobed and somewhat cupped downward. It is a little surprising how I have sat under this tree hundreds of times without really looking at it. I looked more closely at the leaves and the twigs particularly the lenticels and, from what I could tell it is, indeed, a black maple rather than a sugar. Even with that, black maple is a species that I am not always sure about and have low confidence in its identification. I showed a branch to John Peterson and he thought that it is a black maple. However, his caveat was that he may change his mind if he saw the whole tree. My son B.J. climbed the tree to get a good height measurement and we used some poles to hold a tape up and get a level spread measurement along the slope. I thought it might be the state champion but we came up about 14 points short. I guess second is not too bad. I have been concerned about the tree’s health for several years, but I suspect that it may still out last me. It also has some badly decayed included bark that I cabled years ago. I also had B.J. take some weight out of the top about five years ago, and I probably lost a few feet of height by doing that. Fair health with some old die back in crown. Codominant leaders with cable installed about 20 years ago. It is in the front yard of a residence built in 1875 that is in the North Fork Historic District. We have old photos that show the tree in the background.
Location of Tree
Tree is located in: Montgomery
Land Owner: Carl P. Absher and Rebecca B. Absher
GPS Coordinates: 37.300456, -80.274159
Owner Email: Private
Directions: The property is about 10 miles northeast of Blacksburg on Catawba Road. The tree stands on a knoll in front of the house 100 yards southeast of Catawba Road.
Owner Address: 3825 Catawba Rd
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Owner Phone: Private
Contact Information
Contact Name: Eric Wiseman
Contact Email: vabigtree@vt.edu
Nominators
Original Nominator(s): Carl Absher
Additional Information
Our Partners
