Collections: Championship Trees
Home of Champions
by Dr. Mark McDonnell
Humans have a deep rooted appreciation for big trees. It doesn't
matter if one is young or old, a large tree forces us to look up
and contemplate its dimensions. Some have branches reaching three
to five stories tall, while others have girths so large that one
person, with arms outstretched, could only cover a third of the tree's
circumference. In addition to the sheer mass of large trees, when
we encounter them we inevitably think about how old they are. Typically,
big trees are old, which in this part of the country means 150 to
300 plus years old. Due to the need for farmland, building materials
and firewood, much of Connecticut and the surrounding region was
cleared of forests and trees by the late 1880's.
Thus, trees over 120 years old are not very common in our forests.
In fact, most of our largest trees are found near homes, parks and
in urban areas.
In recognition of the importance of preserving and maintaining
our biggest trees, national, regional, state and local organizations
have been formed to document the existence of large trees.
They all use relatively simple formula to judge the trees, many
commonly follow the American Forestry Association (AFA) "point" method
of measuring and comparing trees. The formula is as follows:
AFA Points = Circumference of the trunk at 4.5 feet above the
ground + height of the tree in feet + 1/4 of the average branch
spread in feet.
In the late 1980's the Connecticut Botanical Society under the
leadership of Glenn Dryer set out to inventory all of the native
and ornamental big trees of Connecticut and published their findings
in a small book entitled Connecticut's Notable Trees. Written
by Dryer it was published in 1989 as the Memoirs of the Connecticut
Botanical Society, No. 2 by the Society and Covered Bridge Press.
This publication provides a wealth of information on not only Connecticut's
biggest trees, but also trees of historic significance. According
to Dryer, based on 438 AFA points, the largest tree in Connecticut
is the "Pinchot" Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
located in Weatogue. As a result of different growth forms some of
the largest trees of their kind may in fact not be large by the Pinchot
Sycamore standard. For example, the largest bear oak (Quercus
ilicifloia) in the country is 25 feet tall and grows in East
Granby, Connecticut. It has an AFA point rating of only 81.
When the Connecticut Botanical Society began searching the State
for large trees they found a notable concentration at the Bartlett
Arboretum, which reinforced the value of the facility as a scientific
and cultural institution. Many of the trees were planted by Dr. F.A.
Bartlett shortly after he purchased the property in 1913. To date,
the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens is the home of five New England
and Connecticut Champion trees. In addition, nine trees are recognized
as Connecticut State Champions (see chart below). The Bartlett
is truly the "Home of Champions". The next time you are
at the Arboretum ask us about our notable trees.
See the Bartlett
Arboretum Notable Trees as Designated by
the Connecticut Botanical Society |
