merican Forests, a national non-profit conservation organization founded in 1875, maintains a National Register of Big Trees. These trees are the largest of their species and are found in forests, parks and backyards throughout the country. The N.C. Division of Forest Resources maintains a similar register of big trees found in North Carolina.

Champion big trees are determined by a formula that uses the tree’s circumference measured in inches, added to the tree’s height measured in feet, plus one-fourth of the average crown spread measured in feet. The number calculated from this formula is the point score for the tree.

The national champion is a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park, Calif., with 1,300 points. This tree, which is 998 inches in circumference, 275 feet tall and has a crown spread of 428 feet, is the largest living thing in the world. It is estimated to weigh as much as 360 elephants, and it takes 15 people holding hands to make a circle around it.

In North Carolina, the overall champion big tree is a bald cypress in Bertie County with 606 points. The largest oak in the state is a cherry bark oak in Camden County with 464 points, and the largest dogwood is in Sampson County with 157 points.

If you think a tree in your area might be a champion, you may nominate it for inclusion in the national register or contact the N.C. Division of Forest Resources at (919) 733-2162 for nomination for inclusion in the North Carolina register. Click here to download the current list of Champion Trees in North Carolina.

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