Do you have a champion tree? It's possible

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 redwoods (Sequoia gigantea) reach a height of 325 feet and a diameter of 30 to 35 feet at their base.

The oldest known living thing in the United States is a bristlecone pine still growing in the Sierra Nevada of Southern California. It is 4,600 years old. The record giant sequoia of California was 3,200 years old.

In Southeast Missouri we have champions as diverse as shortleaf pine and bald cypress. These champions reflect the great diversity of our region.

How big is big? The 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.

But what is a tree?

The answer isn't so clear

To most of us a tree may be a rather definite thing; yet the line of demarcation between trees and shrubs is by no means clear-cut.

A given species may be shrubby near the extremities of its range, or at or near timberline, and still attain large proportions elsewhere. For example, the Alaska cedar is ordinarily a moderately large tree, but in exposed situations at timberline it is often reduced to a dwarfed or even heathlike shrub; and white spruce, an important pulpwood tree of eastern Canada, is shrubby in habit in the far north.

For the sake of convenience, a tree may be defined as a woody plant which at maturity is 20 feet or more in height, with a single trunk, unbranched for at least several feet above the ground, and having a more or less definite crown. Shrubs, in contrast, are smaller and usually exhibit several erect, spreading, or prostrate stems and a general bushy appearance.

How do you measure a tree for the champion tree record? Circumference is measured at 4.5 feet above the ground. If a growth or branch is located at this point, measure below it where the circumference is least. If the tree forks below 4.5 feet, measure the larger fork at 4.5 feet.

To measure the circumference, locate a point at 4.5 feet above the ground on the trunk and place the zero end of the tape there. The tape is wrapped around the trunk tightly without sagging so that it exactly meets the zero end of the tape. The circumference is read in feet and inches.

Crown spread can be measured by setting a stake directly under the outside edge of the crown farthest from the trunk and another directly opposite it at the outer edge of the crown on a line passing through the center of the tree. Next, set stakes marking the shortest diameter of the crown passing through the center of the tree. Measure both diameters to the nearest foot with a tape measure. Add the two measurements together and divide the sum by two to obtain the average crown spread.

Height is the distance between the base and the top branch of the tree. A simple method of measuring tree height, which is quite accurate, is done this way:

Make a target which is a known height (5 feet works well when measuring tall trees). A yardstick will be needed, into which you have cut a fine notch at each inch mark.

Place this target against the tree, making sure that it will be visible as you walk back to measure it. Be sure the target is vertical or your reading will not be true.

Holding the yardstick vertical, back up from the tree to the point where the five foot target exactly fills one inch on the yardstick. Now, without moving the yardstick, sight from the base of the tree to the top of the tree. The number of inches on the yardstick which is filled by the tree is noted. Each inch is equal to five feet. If the tree occupied 18 inches on the ruler, then 18 x 5 ft. = 90 feet, the height of the tree.

Be sure and take measurements from several points around the tree and use an average of measurements for the height.

Southeast Missouri is home to 59 of the 136 Missouri champions, but remember that you also can join in the search for more of the state's champion trees. There are many waiting to be discovered.

Joe Garvey is the forestry regional supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation.