Kisatchie National Forest is excited to announce the Louisiana Champion Tree for longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) was found on the Calcasieu Ranger District! This whopper stands at 105 feet high, spread of 61 feet, and has a circumference of 11 feet and 1 inch! The tree is located in Forest Hill, LA (31°03’25.9″, -92°32’25.5″).

The public can nominate a champion tree to be included in the National Register of Champion Trees by submitting a form with estimated measurements of the tree they’ve found. Forms can be emailed to jzeringue@laforestry.com. The directory comes out in March of each year. Nominations for national champion must first come through the Louisiana Champion Tree program.

Thanks to Christian Cobb and Brooklyn Frerks for finding and nominating the winning longleaf pine. For more information on Champion Louisiana Trees, please visit https://www.laforestry.com/champion-trees-in-louisiana

In September of 1940, American Forests (then The American Forestry Association) launched a campaign to locate the largest living specimens of American trees. The National Register of Champion Trees started out as a competition, a national hunt to discover and preserve the largest specimens of American tree species. The campaign to find America’s largest trees grew from a desire to protect and preserve them for future generations. The trees people hunted for were scattered through forest and field, along roadways, and in backyards.

Over 75 years later that competition lives on today.

Locate, measure, and nominate the largest trees you can find to American Forests’ National Register of Champion Trees. The challenge to all tree lovers is to locate and nominate trees larger than those currently listed, if they exist. Strike out on your own or take friends with you. Find the Champions of the nearly 900 tree species and varieties eligible for the register.

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