Tree Information
Common Name: great rhododendron
Scientific Name: Rhododendron maximum
Native/Naturalized: Native to Virginia
Database ID: 3505
Status: alive
National Champion: no
Virginia Champion: yes
Trunk Girth: 32 in.
Tree Height: 25 ft.
Crown Spread: 25 ft.
Points: 63
Date Last Measured: 2026
Last Measured by: Bella Hardaway, Wesley Meade, John Seiler, Eric Wiseman
Date First Measured: 2026
Comments:
2026 comments: Discovered by the nominators while conducting an invasive species survey for the Southern Environmental Law Center. The tree has a full, dense canopy with no indications of disease or disorder. Root system, trunk, and branches are stable. A large diameter branch emerges from the trunk at 2.5' above ground, and there is moderate bark inclusion in the union with the trunk. The branch has become codominant with the main leader, but its weight is fairly well distributed, and there should be low risk of a stem failure unless extreme ice or wind loading occur. The trunk forks into two primary leaders above the large lateral branch at about 4.0' above ground. The vigorous growth of the lateral branch has caused the primary vertical leader to atrophy, although it continues to put on good growth. The tree is somewhat suppressed by a few oaks and blackgums growing near its crown. The tree would benefit from targeted elimination of competing trees. Greatest threat is probably a blowdown of an overstory tree that might crush it. Wildfire is another concern because there is a moderately high fuel load around the tree. The tree is on the edge of a scattered population of large rhododendrons where the forest community transitions into predominantly mountain laurel, blackgum, and scarlet oak. Because of this transition and lower density of rhododendrons, this tree has developed an open-grown habit that is uncommon for the species in a mature forest setting. Trunk measurement shown here was measured at its narrowest girth below the large lateral branch at 2.1' above the mid-slope position. Additional measurements were taken of the lateral branch and the codominant stems above their unions. Girth of lateral branch at 4.5' along the pith line was 22". Girth of primary vertical leader at 4.5' above ground was 21". Girth of the secondary leader that sweeps upslope was 20" at 4.5' above ground.
Location of Tree
Tree is located in: Wythe
Land Owner: U.S. Forest Service
GPS Coordinates: 36.78918, -81.13112
Directions: A 1.75 mile hike along a moderately strenuous horse trail that spurs off of CC Camp Road east of the Hussy Mountain Horse Camp. The horse trail terminates in a mountain meadow in a saddle of the ridge above a small pond. The trail resumes on the northeast corner of the pond. Although the GPS coordinates display the tree as being upslope (east) of the trail, the tree is actually downslope (north-northwest) of the current alignment of the trail along a mostly flat portion of the side slope of the ridge. There is a small rock ledge that parallels the trail, and a direct route to the tree is to cut through a gap in the ledge and then wall about 200 yards directly downslope.
Contact Information
Contact Name: Eric Wiseman
Contact Email: vabigtree@vt.edu
Contact Phone: 540-231-5148
Contact Info: Nominator's contact information is on file.
Nominators
Original Nominator(s): Wayne Browning and Jessica Bier
Additional Information
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