Champions

Some days all I want to do is just stay in bed and sleep, sleep, sleep, but I managed to get off to aboriculture class again today and had a pleasant surprise even if my body and brain say I am too old for this.

Just when I didn't think Dr. Ponder could come up with any more stories he proved me wrong again. Today he asked us if we knew what champions were. National and state. Only thing that crossed my mind was maybe is he talking about horses? Well, we all learne d about what it means today and the story of the one in Mobile that had a think it a 36 foot diameter than was shamelesslely destroyed.

It got me to thinking. Who knows of some of the other National Champions around and what is the State Champions where you live. I must admit I was fasinated with class today, so much so that I had to come home and measure the old oak tree in my yard. I thought it was a monster but it only about 18 or 19 feet diameter. : (

Champion trees are awe-inspiring. Here is my state's listing:

http://www.ohiodnr.com/forestry/bigtrees/nativechamps.htm

I have never found a good website for National Champion Trees.

Scott

Here's a listing from my state: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/forestry/il_forest_facts.html

And the National Register: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/bigtrees/

The IL state champ honeylocust was in my hometown but blew down last year. Quite a big mess it was.

Regards,
Ernie

American Forests publishes the National Register of Big Trees. Their web site is www.americanforests.org. BTW, young Brian Riley (2004 graduate of OSU) is responsible for finding five of Ohio's eleven nat'l champions, and 122 of the 256 state champions.

The live oak (Quercus virginiana) national champion is "Seven Sisters" in Lewisburg, Louisiana, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. It has a waistline of 38 feet and is a beauty.

And, if your backyard tree is a live oak, please consider registering it with the Live Oak Society.

What fantastic links!!!!! I get the Nurseryman magazine every month but didn't know about the American Forest one or organization. Think I need to join that too. : ) Looks like I been missing something good.

I have never heard of the Live Oak Society, so I went to google it. MY STARS!!!!!!!!! http://www.saintmarys.edu/~rjensen/worldofoaks.htm Shows the tree LiveOakLady was talking about. Was a gorgorous tree.

I think it amazing that so many trees have managed to survive disease and distruction to grow on to become these champions. It a miracle for sure.

Seaside, Oregon claims to have the world's tallest Sitka spruce, but, Canada may actually have the tallest sitka spruce. Anyway, Canada's websites are slightly more convincing.

http://www.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/historic/carmanah/reports/Vol07No05

Oh, well. Oregon has the tallest one in the US, anyway.
--Vicki

This message was edited Nov 3, 2006 11:57 AM

Now living in Minnesota, I know trees grow larger seemingly everywhere else, but a waistline of 38 feet I had to see! Thank goodness it was a typo,LOL. I know I live a sheltered life, but I was beginning to think I'd never seen the world at all!

Still, I like to think of other kinds of trees as champions too, like those eking a life out of adverse conditions. Maybe on mountain tops and such. I can see why the Objibway have such reverence for "their" Witch tree on the Lake Superior shore of NE MN.

Took a photo of the UK Champion Larix occidentalis today; 33m tall

Resin

Starlight,
The AL Champion swamp chestnut oak(Q.michauxii) used to be in the Saugahatchee creekbottom forest on the farm I grew up on just outside of Auburn(now inside the city limits) - I guess it's still there, but I think a bigger one has been located and moved past it on the list.

I know what ya mean left Leftwood. Sometimes you do see a small seedling trying its darnest to grow in some odd place and wonder how can it be. Sometimes Mother Nature just outdoes herself.

How far back did you have to stand to try and get that pic Resin? That is a tall one for sure!

Lucky .... When I go to class on Tuesday, I'll ask Dr. Ponder if it still around. He would know. I know he was telling us of this man somewhere that he thinks he has a champion on his property, but the man who owns the property refuses to let anybody on his land or near it. He says if it became one then people would would be trampling all over his ground and he ain't gonna allow that.

If you remember or know of the famous Toomer's Corner Oak, keep your fingers crossed that they come up with a way to save it. I know they have been gathering and sprouting lots of seed from it, but it will be a shame if that tre e goes. I forget what's it problem is.

I know if I get a chance and the weather decent, I want to go over and wander through the Tusgkee National Forest ( hopefully the snakes are done moving) and one of these days when I get back up home, I heading straight over to Berea and tromp though the Cleveland Metro Park system. Walking them woods as kids was like our babysitter, then a place for my son to enjoy running through when we went to vist and now it a place for me to go and enjoy and reflect.

Here in St. Paul, MN, we have some butternuts that Guy thinks are larger than the current champion.

Hi Starlight,

Starlight,
I wasn't aware the live oak at Toomer's Corner was in trouble - other than its frequent festooning with toilet paper during a successful football season.
I knew they were selling seedlings of it as a fund-raising deal a couple of years ago.
I've got seedlings of it and some of the live oaks near Funchess & Comer Halls growing in my nursery beds up here in KY; collected acorns when I was home visiting my folks during acorn season a number of years back.

I remember when I was a kid, instructors from the Forestry & Horticulture departments used to bring classes out to the farm and troop into the 'swamp' to look at the champion swamp chestnut oak.

Lucky, do you know where the champion pecan tree in Alabama is? My oldest one is huge. I haven't seen any nearby as large. It actually has the "knees" about 6ft out from the trunk. It was over 100ft tall before hurricane Ivan but the upper branches got broke off.

Lucky... I didn't know it was in trouble either til, the class was told about it on one of our walks. LOL.... They still selling seedlings on and off. The cutiest darn fundraiser I ever saw. Pay 50 bucks and ya get your seedling from the famous Toomers Corner. The pot is wrapped in orange or blue foil with a big bow, and a miniture roll of Auburn logoed toliet paper.

I'll see if I can find out better what the exact problem is. Hold on to your babies from there. Maybe you will have Toomer Cormer #2.
Next time ya come up you need to go visit the new huge beautiful Forestry building they built last year.

Here's a link to it: http://www.tigerrags.com/official-toomers-seedling-p-1166.html

Well, according to this site: http://www.forestry.state.al.us/publication/pdfs/Champion_Trees_2004.pdf
the AL champion pecan is in Conecuh Co.
Guess you could nominate yours and see if it surpasses the current champ.