The Big Tree Registry, a list of the largest known specimen of each native tree species in Indiana that the DNR Division of Forestry periodically compiles and posts, has been updated. You may now also begin nominating new trees.
To qualify for the register, a tree requires three measurements to be recorded:
- trunk circumference, in inches, at 4 1/2 feet above the ground
- total height, in feet
- average crown spread, in feet.
The total size of a tree is calculated using this formula: circumference + height + 1/4 average crown spread. The individual tree of each Indiana native tree species with the highest total points is Indiana's champion. All nominations will be reviewed as received, but only the nominations with the highest scores will be verified.
We are accepting nominations for all tree species as well as the following species that do not have a current champion:
- Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- Umbrella Magnolia (Magnolia tripetala)
- Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)
Tips for nominating
For more information, contact the Community and Urban Forestry Program at 317-234-4386 or email urbanforestry@dnr.IN.gov
Big Tree Tours
DNR is now offering Big Tree Tours of state champion and heritage trees to the public. This addition to the Big Tree Register emphasizes the importance of celebrating heritage trees, protecting mature trees, and promoting age and species diversity in our forest population. Local historically important trees and state champion trees will be highlighted at each tour.
Current champion list
| Species | Scientific Name | County | Circumference (inches) | Height (feet) | Crown (feet) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ash, Black | Fraxinus nigra | Montgomery | 110.27 | 100.00 | 57.50 | 224.65 |
| Ash, Blue | Fraxinus quadrangulata | Vigo | 185.00 | 81.00 | 92.50 | 289.13 |
| Ash, Green | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Vanderburgh | 222.00 | 87.00 | 81.00 | 329.25 |
| Ash, White | Fraxinus americana | Jefferson | 207.70 | 142.00 | 38.80 | 359.40 |
| Aspen, Bigtooth | Populus grandidentata | Marion | 78.00 | 74.00 | 54.00 | 165.50 |
| Aspen, Quaking | Populus tremuloides | Vigo | 36.00 | 42.00 | 25.00 | 84.75 |
| Basswood, American Linden | Tilia americana | Floyd | 211.12 | 119.00 | 30.70 | 337.80 |
| Beech, American | Co-champion | Fagus grandifolia | Vanderburgh | 177.60 | 105.00 | 127.00 | 314.35 |
| Beech, American | Co-champion | Fagus grandifolia | Floyd | 171.25 | 115.00 | 114.00 | 314.75 |
| Birch, River | Betula nigra | Vanderburgh | 205.00 | 73.00 | 68.00 | 295.00 |
| Black Gum | Nyssa sylvatica | St. Joseph | 147.00 | 128.00 | 91.00 | 297.75 |
| Boxelder | Acer negundo | Vanderburgh | 196.00 | 77.00 | 70.00 | 290.5 |
| Buckeye, Ohio | Aesculus glabra | Jefferson | 94.60 | 111.00 | 21.30 | 210.93 |
| Buckeye, Yellow | Aesculus octandra | Clark | 222.00 | 77.00 | 17.50 | 303.38 |
| Butternut | Juglans cinerea | Lawrence | 280.00 | 74.00 | 94.00 | 377.50 |
| Catalpa, Northern | Catalpa speciosa | Porter | 169.00 | 80.0 | 196.00 | 445.75 |
| Cedar, Eastern Red | Juniperus virginiana | Jackson | 153.00 | 65.00 | 34.00 | 226.50 |
| Cedar, Nothern White | Thuja occidentalis | Porter | 132.30 | 49.00 | 46.00 | 192.80 |
| Cherry, Black | Prunus serotina | Owen | 237.20 | 89.50 | 80.25 | 346.76 |
| Chestnut, American | Castanea dentata | Newton | 120.90 | 76.00 | 58.00 | 211.40 |
| Cottonwood, Eastern | Populus deltoides | St Joseph | 313.50 | 145.00 | 73.00 | 476.75 |
| Cottonwood, Swamp | Populus heterophylla | Jackson | 100.00 | 108.00 | 28.00 | 215.00 |
| Crab, Prairie Crab | Pyrus ioensis | Vigo | 16.50 | 18.50 | 23.00 | 40.75 |
| Cypress, Bald | Taxodium distichum | Vanderburgh | 211.20 | 93.00 | 57.00 | 318.45 |
| Dogwood, Flowering | Cornus florida | Vanderburgh | 86.00 | 36.00 | 57.00 | 136.25 |
| Elm, Red/Slippery | Ulmus rubra | Vanderburgh | 157.00 | 65.00 | 74.00 | 240.50 |
| Elm, White (American) | Ulmus Americana | Vigo | 182.00 | 120.00 | 110.00 | 319.5 |
| Elm, Winged | Ulmus alata | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hackberry | Celtus occidentalis | Marion | 216.00 | 131.00 | 71.50 | 366.00 |
| Hawthorn, Cockspur Thorn | Crataegus crus-galli | Vanderburgh | 39.00 | 29.0 | 22.00 | 73.50 |
| Hawthorne, Downy | Crataegus mollis | Marion | 99.00 | 30.00 | 72.00 | 147.00 |
| Hemlock, Eastern | Tsuga canadensis | Jackson | 131.00 | 103.00 | 48.00 | 246.00 |
| Hickory, Bitternut | Carya cordiformis | Hamilton | 146.50 | 152.00 | 95.00 | 322.25 |
| Hickory, Mockernut | Carya tomentosa | Vanderburgh | 75.00 | 122.00 | 64.00 | 213.00 |
| Hickory, Pale | Carya pallida | Daviess | 81.00 | 92.00 | 35.00 | 181.75 |
| Hickory, Pignut | Co-champion | Carya glabra | Clark | 100.00 | 140.00 | 74.00 | 258.50 |
| Hickory, Pignut | Co-champion | Carya glabra | Fayette | 113.00 | 125.00 | 88.00 | 260.00 |
| Hickory, Red | Carya ovalis | Vanderburgh | 92.50 | 118.00 | 45.00 | 221.75 |
| Hickory, Shagbark | Carya ovata | Wayne | 168.00 | 116.00 | 17.70 | 288.43 |
| Hickory, Shellbark | Carya laciniosa | Franklin | 156.00 | 114.00 | 25.75 | 276.44 |
| Honeylocust | Gleditsia triacanthos | Starke | 133.00 | 117.00 | 70.00 | 267.50 |
| Hophornbeam, American | Ostrya virginiana | Marion | 36.00 | 54.00 | 69.00 | 107.25 |
| Hornbeam, American | Carpinus caroliniana | Marion | 144.70 | 57.00 | 117.00 | 230.95 |
| Kentucky Coffee Tree | Gymnocladus dioicus | St. Joseph | 135.00 | 148.00 | 71.20 | 300.80 |
| Locust, Black | Robinia pseudoacacia | Vigo | 180.00 | 83.00 | 91.25 | 285.81 |
| Magnolia – Cucumber Tree | Magnolia acuminate | Fayette | 214.80 | 70.00 | 10.80 | 287.50 |
| Magnolia - Umbrella Magnolia | Magnolia tripetala | - | - | - | - | - |
| Maple, Black | Acer nigrum | Laporte | 144.80 | 84.00 | 73.3 | 246.13 |
| Maple, Red | Acer rubrum | Vanderburgh | 216.00 | 74.00 | 73 | 308.25 |
| Maple, Silver | Acer saccharinum | Lawrence | 361.00 | 103.00 | 106 | 490.50 |
| Maple, Sugar | Acer saccharum | Owen | 210.50 | 87.50 | 98.50 | 322.63 |
| Mulberry, Red | Morus rubra | Vanderburgh | 48.00 | 20.00 | 33.0 | 76.25 |
| Oak, Black | Quercus velutina | Vigo | 231.00 | 94.00 | 123.00 | 355.75 |
| Oak, Blackjack | Quercus marilandica | Vanderburgh | 96.00 | 118.00 | 224.00 | 270.00 |
| Oak, Bur | Quercus macrocarpa | Posey | 297.00 | 116.00 | 111.00 | 440.75 |
| Oak, Cherrybark | Quercus pagoda | Vanderburgh | 253.00 | 118.00 | 109.00 | 398.25 |
| Oak, Chestnut | Quercus prinus | Bartholomew | 124.00 | 126.00 | 101.00 | 275.25 |
| Oak, Chinquapin | Quercus Muehlenbergii | Henry | 229.0 | 140.00 | 100.00 | 394.30 |
| Oak, Northern Pin | Quercus ellipsoidalis | Porter | 175.80 | 79.00 | 96.50 | 278.93 |
| Oak, Northern Red | Quercus rubra | Gibson | 223.00 | 120.00 | 105.00 | 369.25 |
| Oak, Overcup | Quercus lyrata | Vanderburgh | 193.00 | 61.00 | 205.00 | 305.25 |
| Oak, Pin | Quercus palustris | Greene | 306.00 | 112.00 | 97.00 | 442.25 |
| Oak, Post | Quercus stellata | Vanderburgh | 196.00 | 88.00 | 50.00 | 296.50 |
| Oak, Scarlet | Quercus coccinea | Washington | 224.00 | 92.00 | 92.00 | 339.00 |
| Oak, Shingle | Quercus imbricaria | Warrick | 189.00 | 92.00 | 75.00 | 299.75 |
| Oak, Shumard | Quercus shumardii | Jennings | 239.00 | 128.00 | 82.00 | 387.50 |
| Oak, Southern Red | Quercus falcata | Vanderburgh | 212.50 | 90.00 | 88.00 | 324.50 |
| Oak, Swamp Chestnut | Quercus michauxii | Jennings | 318.00 | 95.00 | 118.00 | 442.50 |
| Oak, Swamp White | Quercus bicolor | Hancock | 196.00 | 82.00 | 103.00 | 303.75 |
| Oak, White | Quercus alba | Perry | 254.03 | 110.00 | 121.00 | 394.28 |
| Paw-paw | Asimina triloba | Starke | 20.40 | 54.00 | 24.00 | 80.40 |
| Pecan | Carya Illinoensis | Gibson | 199.00 | 100.00 | 113.00 | 327.25 |
| Persimmon, American | Diospyros virginiana | Miami | 110.30 | 61.8 | 44.00 | 183.10 |
| Pine, Jack | Pinus banksiana | Tippecanoe | 52.70 | 38.00 | 30.00 | 98.20 |
| Pine, Virginia | Pinus virginiana | Floyd | 78.50 | 119.30 | 19.40 | 202.65 |
| Pine, White | Pinus strobus | Brown | 183.60 | 107.00 | 128.00 | 322.60 |
| Plum, American | Prunus Americana | Vigo | 43.00 | 27.00 | 29.50 | 77.38 |
| Plum, Canada | Prunus nigra | Owen | 82.50 | 58.00 | 35.50 | 149.38 |
| Redbud | Cercis canadensis | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sassafras | Sassafras albidum | Posey | 183.00 | 72.00 | 64.00 | 271.00 |
| Serviceberry | Amelanchier laevis | Vanderburgh | 26.00 | 49.00 | 30.00 | 82.50 |
| Sourwood | Oxydendrum arboretum | Perry | 59.10 | 63.00 | 33.90 | 130.58 |
| Sweet Gum | Liquidambar styraciflua | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sycamore | Platanus occidentalis | Johnson | 320.00 | 115.00 | 169.00 | 477.25 |
| Tamarack | Larix laricina | Vigo | 105.00 | 75.50 | 42.00 | 191.00 |
| Tulip Tree | Liriodendron tulipifera | Porter | 228.30 | 148.00 | 103.50 | 402.18 |
| Walnut, Black | Juglans nigra | Elkhart | 233.00 | 91.00 | 93.00 | 347.25 |
| Waterlocust | Gleditsia aquatica | Vanderburgh | 27.50 | 55.00 | 31.00 | 90.25 |
| Willow, Black | Salix nigra | Vanderburgh | 119.00 | 75.00 | 83.0 0 | 214.75 |
| Yellowwood | Cladrastis lutea | Vigo | 37.2 | 33.6 | 35.7 | 79.7 |
| Birch, Paper | Betula papyrifera | Vigo | 75.4 | 59 | 52 | 147.4 |
| Birch, Yellow | Betula alleghani | Porter | 217 | 101 | 117 | 347.25 |
