This tree is currently the Pennsylvania champion Burr Oak.
In 1985 this tree’s trunk circumference was 222 inches; in 2008, 249 inches; in 2019, 259 inches (pabigtrees.com).
The tree’s height was 96 feet in 2019 (compared to 98 in 1985). Its spread was 126 feet in 2019 (compared to 106 in 1985).
According to Scott Wade (July 2019): “I met with the owner a while back. The positioning of the tree on the SW corner of the house tells me it was planted there to shade the house. The portion of the house on the right dates to the 1700’s, but interestingly enough, the portion that is shaded by the oak is an addition that dates to the early 1800’s. Dirr states that the species was introduced in 1811, and I estimate that this tree dates closely to the introduction. My old man memory is thinking that the addition was 1816? I think the tree is just over 200 years old.”
Nearby Burr Oak Drive is a namesake, and the name of the adjacent Manor Oaks Development was probably inspired by this tree as well.
This amazing “fire and ice” species is both (a) one of North America’s most cold-tolerant oak species, and (b) one of the most fire-resistant of all North American trees.
