View the list of the current champion trees for over 100 species.
Big Trees
There is something about a big tree that commands interest, respect and a certain amount of awe. Trees are the largest and oldest living organisms. The giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) attain a height of 300 feet and a diameter of 30 feet at their base.
Missouri doesn't have the giant sequoias, but we did at one time register a bald cypress that was 39 feet in circumference, or 12.5 feet in diameter.
How big is big? American Forests and the Missouri Department of Conservation use a formula to assess a point value for big trees. Points are determined by a tree's height, crown spread and trunk size. The formula adds the circumference in inches (measured at a point 4.5 feet above the ground) to the height in feet to one-fourth of the average crown spread.
Everyone is invited to join the search for Missouri's champion trees. There are many unreported giants just waiting to be discovered.