2002 Big Tree Register of Montana Champion Trees
updated October 2002
Sponsored by: USDA Forest Service (Northern Region & Rocky Mountain Research Station) & Montana Tree Farm Committee
Tree species with a valid nomination on file are listed below; Species without valid nomination are listed at the end
Naturalized species are followed by a *
Points = circumference (inches) + height (feet) + 1/4 average crown spread (feet)
Co-champions are listed when total scores are within 15 points
Additional information on each tree and big tree nomination forms are available from:
	The Big Tree Program
	c/o Helen Smith
	Rocky Mountain Research Station								NF = National Forest
	P.O. Box 8089, Missoula, MT 59807								RD = Ranger District
									# = former Champion International lands
Common Name	Scientific Name	circum	height	spread	Points	dbh	Date Measured	County	Owner	Nominator
Grand Fir	Abies grandis	194	168	20	367	61	September 15, 1994	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Ed Pederson, Alan Lane
Subalpine Fir	Abies lasiocarpa	103	141	20	249	33	September 21, 1998	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Alan Lane
Subalpine Fir	Abies lasiocarpa	116	126	29	249	37	September 21, 1998	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Alan Lane
Rocky Mountain Maple	Acer glabrum	36	54	60	94	11	September 19, 2001	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Alan Lane
Box Elder	Acer negundo	194	56	60	265	62	November 7, 2001	Ravalli	Astrid Morris	Mark Lewing
Red Alder	Alnus rubra	89	51	36	149	28	June 15, 1999	Sanders	Cal and Irene Ryder	Dennis Nicholls
Western Serviceberry	Amelachier alnifolia	10	15	3	28	3	September 1, 2000	Sweetgrass	???	Martin Flanagan
Paper Birch	Betula papyrifera	95	82	36	186	30	April 10, 1996	Sanders	Richard Cooperman	Dennis Nicholls
Paper Birch	Betula papyrifera	77	97	38	184	25	September 29, 1996	Lincoln	John Hancock	Alan Lane
Black Hawthorn	Crataegus douglasii	14	14	8	30	5	September 1, 2000	Sweetgrass	???	Martin Flanagan
Fleshy Hawthorn	Crataegus succulenta	12	14	12	29	4	September 1, 2000	Sweetgrass	???	Martin Flanagan
Green Ash (*urban champion)	Fraxinus pennsylvanica	151	70	61	236	46	June 23, 1998	Ravalli	Leone Bass	Mark Lewing
Green Ash (*wildland champion)	Fraxinus pennsylvanica	128	39	29	174	41	June 8, 2000	Prairie	Bureau of Land Management	Peter Lesica
Western Juniper	Juniperus occidentalis	81	56	33	145	26	May 26, 1994	Missoula	Fort Missoula	Vick Applegate
Rocky Mountain Juniper	Juniperus scopulorum	97	66	27	170	31	October 22, 1999	Lake	Swan River State Forest	Glen Gray
Rocky Mountain Juniper	Juniperus scopulorum	123	36	18	164	39		Missoula	Flathead NF	Kent Miller, Rick Trembath, Vernon LaFountain, Leo O'Boyle
Alpine Larch	Larix lyallii	163	82	40	255	52	March 21, 1996	Ravalli	Bitterroot NF, Darby RD	Steve Arno
Hybrid Larch	Larix Iyallii x occidentalis	160	152	46	324	50	March 21, 1996	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Libby RD	Steve Arno, Vick Applegate
Western Larch	Larix occidentalis	264	153	34	425	84	July 6, 1995	Missoula	Lolo NF, Seeley Lake RD	Helen Smith, Micha Krebs
Western Larch	Larix occidentalis	233	175	37	417	74	February 1, 1979	Lincoln	Plum Creek Timber, #	E.L. Yahvah
Engelmann Spruce	Picea engelmannii	205	164	33	377	65	October 20, 1996	Flathead	Flathead NF, Glacier View RD	Jerry DeSanto, R. Cox
Engelmann Spruce	Picea engelmannii	163	203	36	375	52	May 5, 1981	Sanders	Plum Creek Timber, #	Pleasant Valley District
White Spruce	Picea glauca	96	90	30	193	31	September 6, 1996	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Fortine RD	Toby Spribille
Whitebark Pine	Pinus albicaulis	171	90	56	275	54	July 29, 1986	Flathead	Flathead NF, Glacier View RD	Tom Hope
Lodgepole Pine	Pinus contorta	104	107	24	217	31	September 5, 1995	Granite	Beaverhead- Deerlodge NF, Pintler RD	Floyd Wood
Limber Pine	Pinus flexilis	220	35	36	263	70	July 11, 1992	Silver Bow	Moose Camp Stock Assoc.	Peter Lesica
Western White Pine	Pinus monticola	227	173	20	405	72	May 20, 1996	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Alan Lane
Ponderosa Pine	Pinus ponderosa	241	194	64	451	77	August 1, 1982	Mineral	Lolo NF, Ninemile RD	Donald M. Wood, Don Campbell
Narrowleaf Cottonwood	Populus angustifolia	150	80	25	255	48	September 1, 2000	Sweetgrass	???	Martin Flanagan
Narrowleaf Cottonwood	Populus angustifolia	157	80	46	249	49	August 26, 1999	Ravalli	State of Montana	Mark & Pamela Lewing
Plains Cottonwood	Populus deltoides	41	108	66	536	129	September 29, 1999	Ravalli	Wallace Weber	Mark Lewing
Quaking Aspen	Populus tremuloides	94	142	26	243	30	June 18, 1997	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Alan Lane
Black Cottonwood	Populus trichocarpa	229	132	70	379	73	February 26, 1980	Lincoln	Mr. and Mrs. Ray Tangen	Russ Hudson
Chokecherry	Prunus virginiana	37	52	25	95	12	September 17, 1992	Flathead	Darrell Logan	Kirk Eakin, Charles Van Hook
Chokecherry	Prunus virginiana	48	38	24	92	15	December 6, 1991	Powell	Nimrod Fee	Jim Anderson
Douglas-fir	Pseudotsuga menziesii	223	177	33	408	71	August 23, 1996	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Libby RD	Lynette Kelly, Jess Evans, Ben Isenburg
White Willow *	Salix alba	294	82	77	395	94	June 7, 1995	Ravalli	Lawerence Durland	Mark Lewing, Rosemary O'Neil
Blue Elderberry	Sambucus cerulea	20	22	14	46	7	January 28, 1999	Sanders	Lolo NF, Plains-Thompson Falls RD	Mike Mueller
Silver Buffaloberry	Shepherdia argentea	15	15	12	33	5	September 1, 2000	Madison	???	Martin Flanagan
Peach Leaf Willow	Salix amygdaloides	20	20	20	45	6	September 1, 2000	Sweetgrass	???	Martin Flanagan
American Mountain-ash	Sorbus americana	10	24	12	37	3	September 1, 2000	Park	Gallatin NF	Martin Flanagan
Pacific Yew	Taxus brevifolia	49	23	24	78	16	April 28, 1992	Lake	AMG Management, Inc.	Jerry & Caroline Berner
Pacific Yew	Taxus brevifolia	45	28	20	78	14	April 28, 1992	Lake	Richard Henning	Jerry & Caroline Berner
Western Redcedar	Thuja plicata	399	149	26	555	127	October 16, 1981	Lincoln	Plum Creek Timber, #	Bruce Miehe
Western Redcedar	Thuja plicata	362	178	16	544	115	May 6, 1998	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Alan Lane
Western Hemlock	Tsuga heterophylla	181	175	35	365	52	October 25, 1998	Lincoln	Kootenai NF, Three Rivers RD	Larry Coryell
Mountain Hemlock	Tsuga mertensiana	148	141	34	298	34	October 24, 1999	Sanders	Lolo NF, Plains-Thompson Falls RD	Doug Shaner
Mountain Hemlock	Tsuga mertensiana	138	137	37	284	42	February 6, 1998	Sanders	Lolo NF, Plains-Thompson Falls RD	Doug Shaner
American Elm (*urban co-champion)	Ulmus americana	192	82	84	295	61	September 19, 2001	Ravalli	Stevensville School District	Mark Lewing
American Elm (*urban co-champion)	Ulmus americana	172	94	67	283	55	September 19, 2001	Ravalli	Melvin & Kathleen Cook	Mark Lewing
American Elm (*wildland champion)	Ulmus americana	86	41	30	135	27	June 5, 2000	Wibaux	Ray Bannister	Peter Lesica
Trees without a nomination:
Columbia Hawthorn	Crataegus columbiana
Elderberry	Sambucus racemosa
Utah Juniper	Juniperus osteosperma
ascade Mountain-ash	Sorbus scopulina
Bitter Cherry	Prunus americana
Sitka Mountain-ash	Sorbus sitchensis
Pacific Willow	Salix lasiandra