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Champion Trees
Our Biggest Trees
by species —
by state —
by size —
by height
A National Champion is the largest specimen of its species in the United States. Only native and naturalized trees are eligible. In most states, and nationally, trees are scored by a point system based on three measurements:
- Girth: one point per inch of trunk circumference, measured at 4.5 feet above the base of the trunk.
click here for
America's
Tallest Tree - Height: one point per foot of height from trunk base to topmost twig.
- Crown Spread: one quarter the average crown spread in feet, measured along the widest and narrowest axes of the crown.
- Total Points: These three measurements are added together to determine the tree's Total Points. The Champion is the tree with the highest overall score. When two or more trees have scores within five points, they are listed as Co-champions.
- Volume: Occasionally there is controversy between two trees for Champion status. One method to resolve disputes is to measure the total volume of the trees.
| God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches,
and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.
—John Muir |
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Anyone can nominate a tree to the National Register or state Big Tree List. If you think you know a tree that might be a champion, study the How to Nominate webpage, print the Nomination Form, measure the tree, and send your completed form to the appropriate state agency or national office.
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Photo Gallery of Big Trees |
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Taking accurate measurements of these big trees can be complex and tricky, so a set of precise rules have been developed, and detailed guidelines are available.
The age of a Champion tree varies greatly with the species. Commonly they are 300 to 500 years old. Many were here before Columbus. A few—such as Redwood, Sequoia, Baldcypress, and Bristlecone Pine —measure their age by more than a millennia. There is no simple, easy and reliable method to measure the age of a tree except to bore a core sample through the trunk, so age cannot be used as a factor to rank champion trees.
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Since 1940, the National Register of Big Trees has kept a list of America's biggest trees. The National Register is published every other year, and is compiled from Big Tree Lists maintained by individual states, and from trees nominated by private citizens and professional foresters. The first National Register printed in 1940 listed 100 Champions. Five trees in the first National Register are still listed today: White Oak, Giant Sequoia, California Sycamore, Rocky Mountain Juniper, and Western Juniper. The 1998 National Register listed 825 trees representing 687 varieties with a recognized National Champion.
Since 1989, Davey Tree Company has sponsored the National Register of Big Trees, and every year publishes a calendar to showcase 13 of these time-tested sylvan beauties.
A State Champion is the largest specimen of an individual species in a particular state.
All 50 states maintain their own Big Tree List, and much of the National Register is compiled from these individual state big tree inventories. The criteria to rank champion trees is standardized, although a few states rank trees differently. For example, in Michigan, height alone is counted.
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State Big Tree Lists |
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How these Big Tree List of State Champions are maintained differs from state to state. In Michigan and Florida, a professor of horticulture maintains the list. New York's Dept. of Environmental Conservation, through its foresters, conducts inventories to identify and register its Big Trees. Some states have a simple public contest. Very few states don't keep any kind of Big Tree inventory.
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State Big Tree Coordinators |
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Many states post their Big Tree List on the web. These websites not only list the big trees and data, but many have photos, nomination forms and instructions, guidelines to measure trees, useful information, and interesting stories. The Champion Tree Project is encouraging more states to make their lists available online so anyone can quick and easy look up the latest data for our State and National Champions.
Some states publish their Big Tree List as a book, including Florida, New Jersey and Washington
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How to Nominate a Champion
How to Measure a ChampionWe are steadily losing our Champions. Every year several die.
Recent centuries have been unfavorable to trees and forests. In colonial America, the tallest trees usually became masts on ships. In the last century, industrial civilization cleared most temperate climate forests. In this century, air pollution has weakened trees, undermined soil fertility, and now has begun to alter climate and intensify weather.
Today's Champions were only ordinary trees in earlier centuries. In colonial times, it was common to find trees so large six men could join hands around it. Decades of deforestation, soil depletion and air pollution have created less than favorable conditions for trees to thrive. For example, the current National Champion White Ash stands 95 feet tall, yet in the 1800's, 165 foot tall Ash trees were common. Entire species—American Chestnut and American Elm—are endangered with extinction. And growing conditions for trees continue to worsen.
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In the 1990's, we are losing our Champion Trees at a disheartening rate. Every year at least four or five National Champions succumb to wind, disease, insects, and chainsaws. Some years over a dozen perish. This is a true tragedy—and not just sentimentalism. These trees are an ecological legacy and genetic treasury to be safeguarded for future generations. Yet, they are vanishing. Rapidly.
We have every insect and animal species on Endangered, Threatened or Protected Species lists, but no trees. We have overlooked the largest plants: trees. No laws grant special recognition or protection to any trees—not even Champion Trees. Any of them may be abused or removed for any reason—or no reason at all—with no consequences for their witless or wanton destruction.
Meanwhile, no effort has been made to preserve and study these unique, rare and diminishing natural resources. So when a Champion Tree dies, its genetic memory to grow tall, strong and long is lost, too.
The Champion Tree Project
was founded to remedy this oversight.
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The Earth Restoration and Reforestation Alliance — www.championtrees.org — updated 4/14/2003