Southern Ohio Landowner Has National Champion Tree Growing on the Property

Lawrence County Ohio – Some of the biggest trees in the nation are in Ohio, a special group follows these big trees and says Ohio has 16 of them and some are in Southern Ohio.

Pictured here is the national champion northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), located in Lawrence County, Ohio. This massive tree is 276 inches in circumference!

This tree grows to 30 meters (98 feet) although is usually shorter. It can reach a diameter of 76 centimeters (30 inches) or more. The bark is somewhat flaky and gray in color. The dark green leaves are large and cordate (heart shaped). Leaves are opposite or whorled and 18 to 30 centimeters (7 to 12 inches) long and 13 to 21 centimeters (5 to 8 1/4 inches) wide. The flowers are white with yellow stripes and purple spots inside. Flowers are up to 6 centimeters (2 1/4 inches) wide and are borne in clusters up to 20 centimeters (7 3/4 inches) long. The fruit is a narrow pod (capsule), up to 36 centimeters (14 inches) long which contains 100 or more winged seeds (see photos).

Northern catalpa is associated with low ground along streams, rivers and lakes, often in the open. It is widely planted as an ornamental tree. It is known from New England, except Vermont, west through New York, to North Dakota, and south to Texas, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, east to Georgia and north to Pennsylvania, but is not recorded from New Jersey and Delaware. It is also known from Ontario.

This species flowers in May to June with fruit ripening in September to October depending on the part of the country in which it is found. Bees, wasps and flies visit the flowers. In some parts of the country, it is called cigar tree in reference to the long narrow fruits.

Sadly the location of this tree is private due to the safety of the tree and for privacy.

Other National record trees in Ohio are:

561	American Sycamore	Platanus occidentalis	436	100	101	Ashland	Jack Basinger and Loren Latimer
455	Northern Red Oak	Quercus rubra	93	94	56	Ashtabula	Marc DeWerth and Big Trees Ohio
409	Cucumber Magnolia	Magnolia accuminata	93	94	56	Stark	Jeremy Felland
398	Common Hackberry	Celtis occidentalis	286	90	89	Hancock	Findlay Shade Tree Commission
391	Chinkapin Oak	Quercus muehlenbergii	93	94	56	Fairfield	Marc DeWerth and Bea Mills and Big Trees Ohio
363	Northern Catalpa	Catalpa speciosa	276	71	71	Lawrence	Marc DeWerth and Big Trees Ohio
349	Green Ash	Fraxinus pennsylvanica	93	94	56	Hocking	Jennifer Bowman
344	Shingle Oak	Quercus imbricaria	233	88	92	Gallia	Dot Harris
275	Atlantic White Cedar	Chamaecyparis thyoides	205	63	28	Muskingum	Brian Riley
256	Common Persimmon	Diospyros virginiana	157	87	46	Scioto	Brian Riley
201	September Elm	Ulmus serotina	93	94	56	Hamilton	Brian Riley
173	Downy Hawthorn	Crataegus mollis	93	94	56	Madison	Brian Riley
126	Serbian Spruce	Picea omorika	48	64	17	Union	Brian Riley
68	Pringle Hawthorn	Cretaegus Coccinea var pringlei	93	94	56	Portage	Brian Riley
67	Poplar Hawthorn	Cretaegus populnea	93	94	56	Wood	Brian Riley
49	Shining Willow	Salix lucida	93	94	56	Portage	Brian Riley