Southern Appalachian Tree Distribution Question

[NWS]

3 Species in particular: Native Stands (not planted) of Sugar Maple, White Birch & Aspen

Sugar Maple: I believe there are some very isolated stands of native reproducing Sugar Maple in some areas of higher elevations. Just wonder how common in TN, NC & N. GA. Not talking about non-native trees planted from the nursery that grow well south of the mountains.

White (Paper or Canoe) Birch: This is the very white paper-like birch you see way up north and not River Birch, Swamp or Yellow Birch which is more common down here. I have never seen any in the higher elevations maybe somebody has.

Aspen: I believe the Southern Appalachians probably just do not have the elevations & weather needed for these trees. Maybe there are some in isolated higher elevations.

Just curious. Thanks for any input.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

I wish there was a sustainable stand of American Chestnut trees.

My granpappy told me stories about the mountains looking like they were covered in snow when the chestnuts were in bloom when he was a young man.

So few of them now that most people have never seen a native chestnut. I know where there are a few, but only one larger than 20 inches or so at chest height

 

[NWS]

Yup. The blight took out the Am. Chestnut, I believe a lot of baby chestnut still sprout from old roots but they still pretty much die off quickly. Perhaps the discovery some years ago on Pine Mountain of a mature stand at FDR State Park & the research ongoing will help bring some of these trees back. I believe other isolated chestnut stands do exist and research is ongoing.

Interested though to see if anyone has had any sightings of native stands of the -3- trees I mentioned.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

3 Species in particular: Native Stands (not planted) of Sugar Maple, White Birch & Aspen

Sugar Maple: I believe there are some very isolated stands of native reproducing Sugar Maple in some areas of higher elevations. Just wonder how common in TN, NC & N. GA. Not talking about non-native trees planted from the nursery that grow well south of the mountains.

White (Paper or Canoe) Birch: This is the very white paper-like birch you see way up north and not River Birch, Swamp or Yellow Birch which is more common down here. I have never seen any in the higher elevations maybe somebody has.

Aspen: I believe the Southern Appalachians probably just do not have the elevations & weather needed for these trees. Maybe there are some in isolated higher elevations.

Just curious. Thanks for any input.

There are a few sugar maples in NC/TN



Paper birch is not going to be anywhere close to us, Michigan maybe but not NC or TN.

Aspens would be a little further south but you won't find one in NC or TN unless it was a big tooth Aspen then there are some very small pockets of them in NC and TN.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

Aspens won't be in the mountains of north Georgia either. Never seen a paper Birch in our neck of the woods. We have a lot of red maples, not so many sugar maples