Find out if you have a state or national champion tree near your home.

In 1940, the American Forests organization began a search of the largest specimen of each species of American trees.  This list, now called the National Registry of Big Trees, contains the names of more than 750 species.  Ten Kentucky champions have been nominated as national champions or co-champions.

Kentucky's  National Champions

Species	County	Circumference (inches)	Height (feet)	Spread (feet)	Total Points
American yellowwood	Jefferson	214	73	67	303.75
Blue ash	Mason	154.6	120	66	291.10
Bur oak	Woodford	287	104	93	414.25
Chinkapin oak	Harrison	311	76	69	404.25
Overcup oak	Livingston	240	106	101.5	371.38
Pignut hickory	Allen	171	148	142	354.50
Pin oak	Bell	241	135	97	400.25
Sassafras	Daviess	270.5	77	67	364.25
Shellbark hickory	Greenup	175	139	80	334.00
Shining sumac	Bullitt	29	35	6	70.00

The Division of Forestry began compiling a list of state champion trees in 1968.  The first list contained only 51 species.  The current list, which is restricted to native and naturalized species, has 99 species reported.  The list is continually changing as new species are added and former champions are replaced either because they die or a larger specimen is nominated.

To see if there are any champion trees in your area, you can view a printable list of state champion trees by their common name or by the county of location or click on the tree species name below and see a photograph of the current champ.

Kentucky's State Champions

Species	County	Circumference (inches)	Height (feet)	Spread (feet)	Total Points
Ash, blue	Mason	154.6	120	66	291.10
Ash, green	Estill	203	154	58.8	371.70
Ash, pumpkin	Union	100	47	62.1	162.53
Ash, white	Jefferson	258	80	70	355.50
Aspen, bigtooth	Rockcastle	76	124	38	209.50
Baldcypress	Ballard	303	116	85	440.25
Basswood, American	Fayette	259	95	82	374.50
Beech, American	Hancock	163	116	62	294.50
Birch, river	Perry	121	121	77.5	261.3
Birch, sweet	Bell	111	113	53.5	237.38
Birch, yellow	Harlan	156	97	62	268.50
Blackhaw	Hopkins	45	23	25.25	74.10
Buckeye, Ohio	Lewis	95	68	45.5	174.00
Buckeye, red	Boone	32	19	17	55.25
Buckeye, yellow	Casey	151	148	48	311.00
Butternut	Breathitt	102	91	73	211.25
Catalpa, northern	McLean	234	79	65.5	329.38
Cherry, black	Hardin	187	91	75	296.75
Chestnut, American	Adair	128	47	54.5	188.63
Coffeetree, Kentucky	Jefferson	120	105	48	237.00
Cottonwood, eastern	McCracken	233	148	92	404.00
Cottonwood, swamp	Ballard	87	97	71.5	201.87
Dogwood, flowering	Warren	79	38	48.5	129.13
Elm, American	Lee	229	127	104	382.00
Elm, slippery	Clay	205	130	89.5	357.38
Elm, winged	Green	51	84	32	143.00
Fringetree	McCracken	45	30	32.5	83.13
Hawthorn, downy	Fayette	35.5	24	24.32	65.58
Hawthorn, Washington	Fayette	28	20	19.75	52.94
Hemlock, eastern	Harlan	148	151	47	310.75
Hickory, bitternut	Woodford	107	110	58.5	231.63
Hickory, mockernut	Leslie	65	153	53	231.25
Hickory, pignut	Allen	171	148	142	354.50
Hickory, shagbark	Floyd	136	95	90	253.50
Hickory, shellbark	Greenup	175	139	80	334.00
Holly, American	Bath	91	54	39	154.75
Honeylocust	Lewis	173	84	61	272.25
Hophornbeam, eastern	Bell	32	76	37	117.25
Hornbeam, American	Carlisle	44	54	44.5	109.00
Locust, black	Jefferson	144	100	39	253.75
Locust, water	Ballard	49	81	60.5	145.13
Magnolia, bigleaf	Bell	41	87	30	135.5
Magnolia, Fraser	Harlan	65	98	40	173
Magnolia, southern	Jefferson	165	50	58	229.50
Maple, boxelder	Johnson	166.9	74	98	265.45
Maple, red	Lawrence	210	99	73.5	327.38
Maple, red x trilobum	Knox	145	76	133	254.25
Maple, silver	Pulaski	297	102	100	424.00
Maple, striped	Harlan	34	45	52	92.00
Maple, sugar	Letcher	124	151	75.1	293.78
Mulberry, red	Grayson	123	43	92	189.00
Mulberry, white	Bell	202	28	54.5	243.63
Oak, black	Boyd	222	105	112	355.00
Oak, blackjack	Warren	135	63	76	217.00
Oak, bur	Woodford	287	104	83	414.25
Oak, cherrybark	Carlisle	283	100	100	408.00
Oak, chestnut	Johnson	198	97	91	317.75
Oak, Chinkapin	Harrison	311	76	69	404.25
Oak, northern red	Boone	236	109	84	366.00
Oak, overcup	Livingston	240	106	101.5	371.38
Oak, pin	Bell	241	135	97	400.25
Oak, post	McCracken	171	80	98	275.50
Oak, shingle	Jefferson	170	122	83	312.75
Oak, Shumard	Powell	286	120	97.5	430.38
Oak, southern red	Allen	249	102	104	377.00
Oak, swamp chestnut	Jefferson	238	125	108	390.00
Oak, swamp white	Nelson	223	90	100	338.00
Oak, water	Marshall	195	94	102.5	314.63
Oak, white	Letcher	181.5	147	80.4	348.61
Oak, willow	Jefferson	225	115	86	361.50
Osageorange	Warren	281	82	88.5	385.13
Paulownia	Bell	124	65	112.5	217.13
Pawpaw	Franklin	36	60	26	102.50
Pear	Leslie	135	75	70	227.50
Pecan	Trigg	270	124	124.5	425.13
Persimmon	Harlan	73.2	51	46.5	135.83
Pine, eastern white	Edmonson	143.2	128	47.5	283.16
Pine, loblolly	Hart	163.5	71	66	251.00
Pine, pitch	Magoffin	150	85	67	251.75
Pine, shortleaf	Martin	96	108	48	216.00
Pine, Virginia	Perry	78.5	92	53.5	183.87
Poplar, yellow	McCreary	217	178	99	419.75
Redbud, eastern	Fayette	86.4	25	31.4	119.25
Redcedar, eastern	Ohio	124	72	38	205.50
Sassafras	Daviess	270.5	77	67	364.25
Serviceberry, downy	McCreary	78	67.5	34.5	154.13
Silverbell, Carolina	Jefferson	130	72	60	217.00
Sourwood	Bell	55	80	43	145.75
Sugarberry	Fayette	166.32	70	70	253.82
Sumac, shining	Bullitt	29	35	24	70.00
Sweetgum	Fulton	152	130	78	301.50
Sycamore, American	Montgomery	422	62	88.5	506.13
Tree-of-Heaven	Hardin	159	44	47	214.75
Tupelo, water	Ballard	184	86	94	293.50
Walkingstick, Devils	Bell	15	33	3.1	51.12
Walnut, black	Green	190.9	94	92.5	308.04
Willow, black	Fulton	125.5	107	44	243.50
Yellowwood, American	Jefferson	214	73	67	303.75

Do you have a Kentucky Champion Tree on your Property?

To nominate a tree, the species must first be identified and measured properly.  An electronic photograph of the tree and GPS coordinates are required and must be submitted with each nomination.  Foresters are available to assist with your champion tree identification and measuring. Contact the district office that serves your county.

How to Measure Your Champion Tree

Circumference:
The tree's trunk should be measured at a point four and one-half feet above the base of the tree (referred to as the diameter at breast height or dbh).  If there is a branch or growth that prohibits measuring at this point, measure a point just below the branch or growth.

Height:
An estimation of height can be made using a yardstick.  First, measure 100 feet from the tree.  Next, hold the yardstick vertically 25 inches from the eye.  Align the zero inch mark on the yardstick at the base of the tree and note the inch mark that aligns with the top of the tree.  Every 1 inch equals 4 feet.

Crown:
To determine a tree's average crown spread, you must first find the points in the tree's crown that are widest and narrowest.  These points must then be marked on the ground.  Walk underneath the tree and visually assess where the tree's branches extend the farthest from the trunk.  Drive a stake into the ground directly beneath this point.  Following a line directly through the center of the tree's base, find the opposite side of the crown's widest point, stand directly beneath the outer edge of it and drive a second stake into the ground.  Next, you must determine the narrowest spread in the tree's crown.  Find where the outer edge of the crown's branches are closest to the bole, stand directly beneath this point and drive a stake into the ground.  Do the same as before and find the opposite side of the crown and drive a second stake to mark it.  Measure the number of feet between the stakes marking the crown's widest dimension and write it down.  Measure the number of feet between the stakes marking the crown's narrowest dimension.  Add the two numbers together, divide by two, and the result is the tree's average crown spread.

Total Your Points:
Add together the points for the tree's circumference (inches) points, height (feet) points and one-quarter of the average crown spread.  The result is your tree's total points (circumference points + height points + one-quarter of the average crown spread points = total points).

     Circumference                                    Total Inches _______

     Height                                                           Feet _______

     Average crown spread (divide by four)            Feet _______

                                                      Total Index Points _______

Example: Sugar maple - 120 inches in circumference + 80 feet tall + average crown spread of 60 feet.

Circumference (in inches):  120
Height (in feet):  80
Average Crown Spread (in feet)/4: 60/4 = 15
Total Index Points: 215

After determining your final points, contact the district office that serves your county and arrangements will be made for a forester to certify your results and submit your nomination.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact Diana Olszowy at 800-866-0555.

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