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CONSERVATION CORNER
(For the week of October 29, 2007)
Mississippi's Champion Trees
by James L. Cummins
Mississippi's Champion Tree Program was started in 1972 by the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC), which was patterned after the program from the National Register of Big Trees. This program was initiated in 1940 by the American Forestry Association, now known as American Forests. The National Register of Big Trees keeps records of the largest trees by diameter, height and crown spread located across the nation. All trees submitted to the Mississippi Champion Tree Program are compared to the most current edition of the National Register of Big Trees. Currently, 163 trees are registered as Mississippi "State" Champions, eight of which are also National Champions, largest of their species, and five are National Co-Champions.
The state tree of Mississippi is the Southern magnolia and its flower is our state blossom. Did you know it is our very own State and National Champion Tree? This giant tree is located in Jones County approximately 2 miles east of State Highway 11, across from Ellisville State School and is owned by the Jones County Board of Education.
The Mississippi Champion Tree List has 163 champions listed. These large trees are difficult to de-throne. You can find the Champion Tree List on the internet by typing in www.mfc.state.ms.us and click on Champion Tree Program. As you scroll down the list, please note the species that do not have a Mississippi champion. The list has 69 species of trees that have not been nominated and declared a champion. If you can correctly identify the species and measure it, you automatically have a State Champion.
Some of the species of trees that do not have a listed champion are sweet crabapple, pumpkin ash, Carolina ash, Carolina basswood, roughleaf and smooth dogwood, Georgia hackberry, nutmeg hickory, possumhaw holly, black locust, chestnut oak, Delta post oak, laurel oak, bigflower and smallflower pawpaw, Chickasaw plum and weeping willow. This is just to name a few.
If you think you have found a potential Champion Tree candidate, please schedule an appointment with your local MFC office. A MFC Forester can verify if the species will meet the criteria for the Champion Tree List. Any qualified forester may make the official measurements for nominating a Champion Tree. Only those species of trees recognized by the U.S. Forest Service publication Checklist of United States Trees (Native or Naturalized) by Elbert C. Little, Jr. are eligible for listing in the Mississippi Champion Trees List.
If you like to find giant trees as a hobby or think you have a potential Champion Tree, please give the MFC a call or visit their web site at www.mfc.state.ms.us. Who knows, you may have a tree that is the largest of its species in the State or Nation!
Again, you can contact your local MFC Service Forester's office or write Mississippi Champion Tree List, c/o Ed Brown, State Champion Tree Coordinator, at P. O. Box 348, Bay Springs, Mississippi 39422 or call (601) 764-2711 or (601) 764-3061 in Bay Springs.