Possible world record-breaking oak leaf to be measured at Arbor Day celebration

Shoal Creek’s Claire Larkin recently found what she believes is the largest oak leaf ever documented in the world.

As she was taking a walk through the woods on some family property near Livingston on the day after Thanksgiving, Larkin came across what she called a “ginormous” oak leaf.

She took a picture of it and sent it to her daughter, who checked the Guinness Book of World Records and asked her mom to measure the leaf. It was about 43 centimeters (roughly 17 inches) long and about 40 centimeters (roughly 16 inches) wide.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest oak leaf ever documented was 41 centimeters (16.14 inches) long and 28 centimeters (11 inches) wide. It was found in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, Canada, in October 2010.

So, Larkin began the process to get her oak leaf documented. At the advice of numerous people, she contacted Hoover city forester Colin Conner, who along with two foresters from the Alabama Forestry Commission and someone from the city of Hoover’s Engineering Department made preliminary measurements Dec. 4.

“This leaf is an absolute hoss,” Conner said. “It is very impressive. … I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Two days later, Brian Keener, a professor of biology at the University of West Alabama and director and curator of the university’s herbarium, measured the leaf as well and visited the site where it was found.

“The tree from which the leaf fell was a cherry bark oak, and there was nothing really special about it,” Larkin said. “All the leaves that fell from it were about three times the size of average oak leaves, but none came close to matching the size of the largest one she found. It’s just a freak of nature.”

Keener also took measures to preserve the leaf so it wouldn’t further shrink and deteriorate, Larkin said.

Larkin made an initial inquiry with officials of the Guinness Book of World Records, and they sent her specific steps to follow to submit the leaf for consideration in the book.

An official measurement must be documented by professionals and recorded on video. That measurement will take place at the city of Hoover’s Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, March 7, and will be sent in to the Guinness Book of World Records for verification. Larkin said she likely won’t hear back if the leaf officially broke the record until 12 weeks after her submission.

Also at Hoover’s Arbor Day Celebration, organized by the Hoover Beautification Board, the city will give away 250 trees from 17 species, including highbush blueberry, American hazelnut, American fringetree, downy serviceberry, trident maple, sweetbaby magnolia, Eastern hophornbeam, sourwood, Kentucky yellowwood, red mulberry, red maple, sugar maple, American beech, nuttall oak, white oak, tulip poplar and shagbark hickory.

Most will come in 3-gallon containers and will be between 18 inches and 6 feet tall, Conner said.

The celebration will also include awards for elementary school students who won an Arbor Day essay contest, a coffee station, tree education tables, a ceremonial tree planting and opportunities for kids to do nature-related art, crafts and games, said Rebecca Hassee, a co-chairwoman of the event.

Sponsors include Alabama Power Co., Ace Tree Service, Landscape Workshop and the Green Valley Farms nursery in Montevallo.

This article was updated on March 7 to indicate that Brian Keener is now a full professor of biology at the University of West Alabama.