Some trees make you stop walking. You look up, tilt your head back, and for a second the day gets quieter. That’s the pull of ohio champion trees, the biggest known trees of their kind, growing in parks, campuses, cemeteries and a few lucky backyards across the state.
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What Makes a Tree a Champion?
It’s more than “the big one by the parking lot.” A champion is the largest known living tree of its species, and the title is decided by measurement, not opinion. Ohio tracks every one of its 200-plus native and non-native species, so the ohio champion trees list reads like a record book with one winner per tree.
Scoring is simple. Three numbers get added together:
- Trunk circumference: a point for every inch
- Height: a point for every foot
- Crown spread: a quarter point for every foot of average spread
The highest total wins the species.
The People Behind the Big Tree Program
The ohio big tree program belongs to the ODNR Division of Forestry. It was established in 1955, and it grew out of an earlier national effort run by American Forests. The state coordinator’s description is pretty down to earth. It’s a voluntary effort to locate, measure, record and appreciate Ohio’s largest trees.
Plenty of help comes from regular people. Marc DeWerth started Big Trees Ohio, a volunteer group of big tree lovers who search out the state’s grandest trees. If you spot someone hugging an oak with a tape measure, that might be them.
Champions You Can Actually Visit
Good news: you don’t need a backcountry permit. Big trees usually show up in yards, parks, arboretums and cemeteries, where their size stands out.
At Ohio University in Athens, a willow oak is the largest in the state, and a Carolina silverbell near Chubb Hall is another state champion. In Saybrook Township, a champion swamp white oak stands in Big Oak Nature Park.
Some champions sit on private land, and that deserves respect. The national champion Ohio buckeye in Huron County is one of them. ODNR cautions people that it’s private property, so don’t walk up for a closer photo.
A Few Records Worth Knowing
The tallest tree in ohio is a white pine in Zaleski State Forest that reaches 165 feet. That’s roughly a sixteen-story building.
The buckeye has a comeback story. After about thirty years with the national title in Kentucky, Ohio won it back in the 2004-2005 register. And the numbers are bigger than most people expect. One ISA chapter page lists 16 national champion big trees in Ohio.
The Carolina silverbell at Ohio University is the quiet overachiever. It’s a state champion and also one of the largest of its species in the country.
Why These Trees Matter
Size is the hook, but it isn’t the whole point. A tree that’s stood for centuries is basically a small neighborhood. Birds nest in the hollows, fungi and insects break down the dead wood, and the roots keep soil from washing away.
They’re also fragile. ODNR’s coordinator has said it plainly: one good storm can change everything. A storm brought down the champion white oak in Canfield, a tree with a full, beautiful canopy. That’s why the largest tree in ohio for any species can change hands, and why the ohio champion trees map keeps getting updated.
How to Nominate One
Most champions were found by chance. Someone notices a tree that looks unusually large and sends in a nomination. Anyone can do it. You send the species, the location, and the height and trunk and crown measurements. Then qualified staff verify everything using the program’s procedures.
You don’t have to be exact. Your job is to flag it, and theirs is to measure it properly.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’ve lived in Ohio forever or you’re just passing through, the champion trees are worth a detour. From the 165-foot white pine in Zaleski to the oaks on a college campus, they show what one tree can become when it’s left alone long enough. Go stand under one. And if you think you’ve found a bigger one, let ODNR know.
Emma Gill