Acer pensylvanicum, Striped Maple Kongscut Mountain/Meshomasic State Forest, Glastonbury Big tree fans and big tree fans alike, you might want to grab a tissue for this one. Glastonbury's former national champion striped maple tree is dead. Like, snapped near the base and lying on the forest floor dead. Dead. … [Read more...]
(Former) National Champion: Poison Sumac
Toxicodendron vernix, Poison Sumac Fern Hollow Preserve, Glastonbury Height: 18 Feet Circumference: 14 inches It's always special when I meet people with pursuits similar to mine. It's also quite rare. So when Frank Kaputa from the Connecticut Notable Trees project reached out to offer to take me to a national … [Read more...]
National Champion: American Smoketree
Cotinus obovatus, American Smoketree Windham Height: 33 Feet Circumference: 150 inches Every now and then I get all jazzed up about our state's slate of National Champion trees. Ever since I discovered the Connecticut Notable Trees project database, I've been hooked. But also a little frustrated. I learned … [Read more...]
(Former) National Champion: Hardy Orange
Poncirus trifoliata, Hardy Orange Calvary Episcopal Church, Stonington Location: In back, near the church in the courtyard Height: 17 Feet Circumference: 48 inches I don’t go to church and I will never go to church, other than for weddings and funerals for people who have such things in churches. I am … [Read more...]
(Former) National Champion: Texas Redbud
Cercis canadensis var. texensis, Texas Redbud Loomis-Chaffee School, Windsor I love this page and I love you for coming here to read it. Unfortunately, Loomis-Chaffee dug up this tree and trashed it in 2018. This National Champion tree. Shame on your Loomis. Shame. I wrote the following in 2013, before Loomis … [Read more...]
(Former) National Champion: Downy Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea, Downy Serviceberry Private Property, Glastonbury Location: In a nice big yard on a corner lot out near the road, so it’s not too creepy to check out Height: 34 Feet Circumference: 134 inches National Champion from January 2010 to January 2020 On a chilly mid-November Friday evening … [Read more...]
National Champion Black Oak
Quercus velutina, Black Oak Private Property, East Granby Location: It's not in a yard or anything, so if you really want to know... Height: 79 Feet Circumference: 344 inches I know there are many kinds of oaks in the world, but I find it rather remarkable that we have two national champion oaks … [Read more...]
(Former) National Champion: Paper Birch
4. Betula papyrifera, Paper Birch Institute of Living, Hartford Location: Gone Height: 72 Feet Circumference: 169 inches 2012 Update: As anyone in northern CT knows, we had a devastating snowstorm on Halloween weekend in 2011. With the leaves still on the trees, and the snow being the heavy/wet variety, tens of … [Read more...]
Bear Oak, Windsor
Quercus ilicifolia, Bear Oak Northwest Park, Windsor Location: North side of driveway in front of the private park manager’s white house. Height: 32 Feet Circumference: 62 inches I love this page and I love you for coming here to read it. Unfortunately, this tree is no longer a national champion in 2018. … [Read more...]
National Champion Trees of CT
Trees, Glorious Trees! National Champion Trees of Connecticut Go straight to the National Champions I first put this page together in 2010 and since then I've learned a lot about this National Champion tree thing works. The lists are constantly in flux. Tree lovers from all over the country never stop measuring … [Read more...]