The Big Tree Register is a list of the largest known specimens for each native tree species in Indiana, maintained by the DNR Division of Forestry. Nominations are now accepted on a rolling basis.
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:
- Canada Plum (Prunus nigra)
- Umbrella Magnolia (Magnolia tripetala)
10 Year Rule and Verification
For a tree to remain the current champion it must have been measured within the last 10 years. When verifying a current or potential champion all efforts will be made by DNR staff to contact the nominator/owner via the information provided on the nomination form. If there is no response from the nominator/owner a letter will be sent to the provided address informing them that failure to respond will forfeit their champion or potential champion status.
Co-Champions
If there are two or more trees that are three points or less apart and their total points are less than 100, they will be co-champions.
If the total points are 100 points or more, specimens must be within 3% of each other.
More info: nationalchampiontree.org/tree-measurements.
Tips for nominating
For more information, contact the Community and Urban Forestry Program at 317-234-4386 or email urbanforestry@dnr.IN.gov
Historic & Interesting Trees
Do you have a tree that isn't large enough to be a state champion but is still important to you or your community? If so, the Division of Forestry is looking for trees that are historically or personally significant or just plain interesting for potential inclusion in an upcoming publication if selected. Nominate your tree on the submission webpage.
Please contact Jacob Roos at Jroos@dnr.IN.gov with questions.
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 | 187.00 | 80.00 | 88.05 | 289.13 |
| Ash, Green | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Vanderburgh | 222.00 | 87.00 | 81.00 | 329.25 |
| Ash, White | Fraxinus americana | Jefferson | 213.00 | 120.00 | 94.00 | 356.50 |
| Aspen, Bigtooth | Populus grandidentata | Marion | 217.20 | 85.10 | 53.90 | 315.70 |
| Aspen, Quaking | Populus tremuloides | Marshall | 42.70 | 81.70 | 21.10 | 129.70 |
| Basswood, American Linden | Tilia americana | Floyd | 211.12 | 119.00 | 30.70 | 337.80 |
| Beech, American | Fagus grandifolia | Porter | 210.50 | 102.70 | 78.70 | 332.80 |
| 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 | Harrison | 122.00 | 121.00 | 51.00 | 255.75 |
| Buckeye, Yellow | Aesculus flava | 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 | 166.10 | 70.05 | 64.60 | 261.41 |
| Cedar, Eastern Red | Juniperus virginiana | Harrison | 147.65 | 60.00 | 40.00 | 217.65 |
| 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 Apple, Prairie | Malus ioensis | Vigo | 16.50 | 18.50 | 23.00 | 40.75 |
| Cypress, Bald | Taxodium distichum | Decatur | 267.00 | 99.50 | 90.00 | 389.00 |
| 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 | Porter | 211.30 | 111.70 | 104.70 | 349.10 |
| Elm, Winged | Ulmus alata | Washington | 29.84 | 55.00 | 23.50 | 90.72 |
| Common Hackberry | Celtis occidentalis | Marion | 216.00 | 131.00 | 71.50 | 364.00 |
| Hawthorn, Cockspur | Crataegus crus-galli | Vanderburgh | 39.00 | 29.00 | 22.00 | 73.50 |
| Hawthorn, Downy | Crataegus mollis | Marion | 99.00 | 30.00 | 72.00 | 147.00 |
| Hemlock, Eastern | Tsuga canadensis | Parke | 98.00 | 154.00 | 38.00 | 261.50 |
| Hickory, Bitternut | Carya cordiformis | Hamilton | 146.50 | 152.00 | 95.00 | 322.25 |
| Hickory, Mockernut | Carya tomentosa | Vanderburgh | 90.00 | 133.00 | 54.50 | 236.60 |
| 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 | 174.00 | 116.00 | 78.00 | 309.00 |
| Hickory, Shellbark | Carya laciniosa | Franklin | 158.00 | 111.70 | 28.70 | 276.88 |
| Honeylocust | Gleditsia triacanthos | Starke | 133.00 | 117.00 | 70.00 | 267.50 |
| Hophornbeam, American | Ostrya virginiana | St. Joseph | 47.44 | 76.50 | 7.47 | 131.41 |
| Hornbeam, American | Carpinus caroliniana | Marion | 184.10 | 63.45 | 63.40 | 264.40 |
| 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 acuminata | Fayette | 214.80 | 70.00 | 10.80 | 287.50 |
| Magnolia - Umbrella Magnolia | Co-champion | Magnolia tripetala | Vigo | 4.00 | 20.00 | 27.00 | 30.70 |
| Magnolia - Umbrella Magnolia | Co-champion | Magnolia tripetala | Tippecanoe | 11.00 | 17.30 | 17.20 | 32.50 |
| Maple, Black | Acer nigrum | Laporte | 144.80 | 84.00 | 73.30 | 247.13 |
| Maple, Red | Acer rubrum | Jackson | 209.00 | 115.00 | 89.50 | 346.38 |
| Maple, Silver | Acer saccharinum | Lawrence | 361.00 | 103.00 | 106.00 | 490.50 |
| Maple, Sugar | Acer saccharum | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mulberry, Red | Morus rubra | Tippecanoe | 97.70 | 42.00 | 70.80 | 157.40 |
| Oak, Black | Quercus velutina | Vigo | 240.00 | 97.00 | 103.00 | 367.25 |
| 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 | 198.70 | 204.00 | 125.50 | 434.08 |
| Oak, Chestnut | Quercus montana | Floyd | 154.20 | 120.00 | 107.00 | 301.00 |
| Oak, Chinquapin | Quercus muehlenbergii | Henry | 229.00 | 140.00 | 100.00 | 394.00 |
| 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 | Hendricks | 203.20 | 92.30 | 101.50 | 320.90 |
| 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 | Co-Champion | Diospyros virginiana | Miami | 110.30 | 61.80 | 44.00 | 183.10 |
| Persimmon, American | Co-Champion | Diospyros virginiana | Dubois | 61.20 | 110.40 | 31.10 | 179.30 |
| 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 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Redbud | Co-Champion | Cercis canadensis | Vigo | 59.60 | 32.00 | 30.75 | 99.29 |
| Redbud | Co-Champion | Cercis canadensis | Wells | 69.80 | 29.40 | 26.30 | 103.45 |
| Sassafras | Co-Champion | Sassafras albidum | Posey | 183.00 | 72.00 | 64.00 | 271.00 |
| Sassafras | Co-Champion | Sassafras albidum | Warrick | 192.40 | 61.00 | 78.50 | 273.02 |
| Allegheny Serviceberry | Amelanchier laevis | Vanderburgh | 26.00 | 49.00 | 30.00 | 82.50 |
| Sourwood | Oxydendrum arboreum | Perry | 59.10 | 63.00 | 33.90 | 130.58 |
| Sweet Gum | Liquidambar styraciflua | Vanderburgh | 144.50 | 140.50 | 70.00 | 302.50 |
| Sycamore | Platanus occidentalis | Johnson | 320.00 | 115.00 | 169.00 | 477.25 |
| Tamarack | Larix laricina | Vigo | 103.00 | 64.00 | 46.00 | 178.50 |
| 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 | 83.00 | 214.75 |
| Yellowwood | Cladrastis kentukea | Tippecanoe | 86.70 | 47.60 | 43.00 | 145.00 |
| Birch, Paper | Betula papyrifera | Vigo | 75.40 | 59.00 | 52.00 | 147.40 |
| Birch, Yellow | Betula alleghaniensis | Porter | 114.60 | 66.90 | 70.50 | 199.10 |