Big and Remarkable Trees of Virginia Tree Discussion Board


This page is designed to help big and remarkbale tree searchers share information about Virginia's biggest trees. The big tree program recognizes the largest speciemns of each tree species in Virginia. the remarkbale tree program recognizes trees that are remarkbale for their age, beauty, historic significance and/or uniqueness. Contact Jeff Kirwan, jkirwan@vt.edu, to participate. Click here to search the big tree database.

Big tree species without champs

  • Slippery elm
  • Franklinia
  • Peach
  • American elder
  • Washington hawthorn

Status of Virginia Trees in the 2008 National Register of Big Trees

  • 56 national champions in the registry
  • 12 additional champions have been nominated for 2010- winged elm, waxmyrtle, silktree, popcorn tree (2), painted buckeye (2), chinaberry, cranberrybush (3), eastern baccharis, Frase fir.
  • One champion needds to be removed- Williamsburg pawpaw (tree split into two)
  • States with the most national champs: Arizona (94), Florida (86), California (82), Texas (72) and Virginia (56)
  • States with the most new champs in 2008: Virginia (37)
Complete list of national champions from Virginia

Recent additions and deletions


  • 3/7/09 Asimina triloba, pawpaw, 82 points (new state champ) nominated by Bob Vickers, Fairfax County
  • 3/7/09 Ostrya virginiana, hophornbeam, 129 points (new state champ) nominated by Bob Vickers, Fairfax County
  • 3/7/09 Crataegus viridis, 122 points, (ties current national champ) nominated by Carmean, Williamson, Kessler and Rasnake, Greensville County
  • 3/7/09 Nyssa aquatica, water tupelo, (exceeds current national champ and the largest tree in Virginia) nominated by Carmean, Williamson, Kessler and Rasnake, Greensville County
  • 3/1/09 Carya aquatica, water hickory (new state champ) nominated by Carmean, Williamson, Clonts and Rasnake, Southampton County
  • 8/20/08 Rose of sharon, Hibiscus syriacus (new state and prospective national champion) nominated by Carmean and Willilamson, Suffolk
  • 8/20/08 Cornelian cherry dogwood, Cornus mas (new co-champion) nominated by Carmean and Willilamson, Sweetbrier College, Amherst


August 11, 2008. The 2008 state champion baldcypress, affectionately known as "Big Mamma" and the largest tree on record for Virginia, has died. Big Tree searcher Byron Carmean believes it may have succumbed to borers, based on resin that had been seen oozing out of the bark recently. The "new" champ is a tree that Byron and Gary Williamson originally discoverd in 1986, and re-measured in 2005. It reined as state champion until Big Mamma was discovered in 2003. It also grows along the Nottoway River in Southampton County.

August 5, 2008. Bill Moore, Director of Special Projects for Carter Bank and Trust in Henry County invited me (Jeff Kirwan) to see some large trees at Beaver Creek Plantation. While there we measured five trees, including a new state champion southern catalpa, a new state champion American boxwood, the 4th largest southern magnolia, and the 5th largest Osage-orange. The plantation was Colonel George Hairston's home, built in 1776.

July 29, 2008. Byron Carmean and Gary Williamson nominated eight new state champions and co-champions, and they will appear in the database in coming weeks, as soon as we can get them entered. They are: Japanese persimmon (new species), Chinese holly (a new co-champ), Mexican evergreen oak (new species), Japanese chinquapin (new species), hornbeam maple (a new co-champ), Yunnan magnolia (new species), loquat (new species), and little-leaf linden (new champ).

July 24, 2008. The state champion black maple in Fincastle, Botetourt County blew down in a storm yesterday. The story was covered by WDJB7 out of Roanoke. A black maple in Rockbridge County, nominated by DOF Forester, Karen Stanley, is the new champ.

June 10, 2008. The three largest hemlocks on record were confirmed dead in 2007, killed by the invasive hemlock wooly adelgid. Two very large trees, along Pond Drain below Mountain Lake, were discovered by Tom McAvoy and measured by big tree intern Mason Patterson. They are the current co-champions.

GPS Coordinates

Please provide GPS coordinates for all new nominations and re-measurements. Please set GPS receivers to NAD 83 map datum. If you are using NAD 27, there will be an additional 80 ft. error to your coordinates. If you are using a Garmin Etrex, go to the MAP page and scroll down to SETUP, then to UNITS. Search the map datum choices and select NAD83.

Big Tree Volunteer Description


The Virginia Big Tree Program is looking for Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers to verify and update trees listed and nominated to the Virginia Big Tree database. Trees that have not been measured in the last 10 years need to be located, confirmed dead or alive, photographed, re-measured (circumference, height and crown spread), contact information updated, and GPS location recorded. Newly nomianted trees need to be verified as to species, measured, and entered into the database. Big trees are located thoughout Virginia, so volunteers may work in their own community, or statewide if they desire. Communicating with homeowners, local foresters and arborists will be required. Training and equipment (clinometer and GPS on loan) will be provided. More information

Big Tree volunteer Training


Virginia Tech Forestry Professor Jeff Kirwan will lead a series of training sessions for Master Naturalists in the fall, 2007. Volunteers will learn how to measure height, circumference and crown spread of trees, how to use a clinometer to measure height, how to obtain and record a GPS waypoint, and how to use the on-line database to obtain information about big and remarkable trees in Virginia. Jeff will also describe efforts to record the Commonwealth's historic and community trees, and how volunteers can help in the process.

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Last modified 3/25/09 3:49 PM by jkirwan (history)
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