In short, a Champion Tree is the best of the best in its species. Contenders for champions are scored in three areas: trunk circumference, tree height and average crown spread. The points are then determined by the following calculation: Trunk circumference (inches) + Tree height (feet) + ¼ Crown spread (feet) (americanforests.org).

Let’s say for example, you found a tree with a trunk circumference of six feet (72 inches), a height of 100 feet and a crown spread of 75 feet (these numbers were arbitrarily chosen). The math would work out to 72+100+.25(75). This simplifies to 72+100+18.75 and amounts to 190.75 points.

To forest enthusiasts and researchers, these champion trees hold a greater value than being a living trophy. According a New York Times article, champion trees hold a genetic key to the United States’ tree history. The strategy gets even more interesting as researchers take clippings from these gigantic specimens in order to culture, graft and grow replicate offspring. The progeny allows researchers to further study the genetic makeup of these champion trees as well as work to eventually reseed the country with the types of trees that once existed before the abundance of logging.

The baby champs are grown in archival libraries located at Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home), the Botanical Gardens near Tampa, the Oregon Botanical Gardens, and the Henry ford Museum and Greenfield Village.

The champion search faces some challenges. Over time, previously registered trees have died and new ones are registered. One sad example has to do with The Senator, a bald cypress tree that was not only the biggest bald cypress in the world, but the oldest. The Senator was 3,500 years old and approximately 120 feet tall. It was destroyed in a 2012 fire originally thought to have been caused by lightning. It was later discovered, however, that the fire was started by an arsonist. The Senator held a deep history within our country. For the Seminoles, it was regarded as a landmark. It also survived a hurricane, which did reduce its original height from 165 feet to 120 feet. The tree attracted several tourists, and eventually got its name from Senator Moses Overstreet who donated the tree and land to Seminole County Florida. The remains of The Senator stand about 20 feet. It is believed that clones were taken from The Senator, and this is yet another reason why the champion tree projects are so important in preserving a living history.

According to the same New York Times article, because the forests in the Unites States have been cut and regrown numerous times, several champions are found in more urban settings rather than in a forest. I’ll add to this that in my own research of champions in Missouri, these trees are not only found in urban settings but also on private residences. This means that you won’t easily get the opportunity to marvel at them.