Nine Wilcox County, Alabama trees are listed as 'Champion Trees'

There are 907 square miles of land within the confines of Wilcox County’s borders, and much of that landscape is covered by lush woodlands. These forests contain hundreds of thousands of trees, and of those trees, there are nine in Wilcox County that are truly remarkable.

Fifty-two years ago, in 1970, the Alabama Forestry Commission started its Champion Tree program, and nine special trees in Wilcox County are currently designated as Champion Trees. A Champion Tree is the largest of its species recorded in Alabama as determined by a formula used by the forestry commission. A tree’s total size is determined by its height, circumference and average crown spread.

One the most remarkable trees in Wilcox County is a Durand Oak that’s on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land. This giant oak is 107 feet tall, 162 inches in circumference and has a crown spread of 62 feet. At one time, this tree was a National Champion Tree, that is, it was the largest of its species in the entire United States.

Another truly remarkable Wilcox County tree is a Cherrybark Oak owned by W.R. Phillippi. This massive oak is the tallest documented tree in the county. It’s 156 feet tall, 240 inches around and has a spread of 131 feet.

Tommy and Jeanell Lawler own three Champion Trees, including a huge Pyramid Magnolia, a large Chalk Maple and a big Two-winged Silverbell. Their Pyramid Magnolia is 92 feet tall, 41 inches around and has a crown spread of 24 feet. Their Chalk Maple is 44 feet tall, 42 inches around and has a spread of 35 feet. Their Two-winged Silverbell is 72 feet tall, 42 inches around and has a crown spread of 27 feet.

Other Champion Trees in Wilcox County include a Green Ash owned by the Allyrae Wallace Educational Trust, a Crape Myrtle owned by Malcolm Smith, a Winged Elm owned by Kinley Bell and an Eastern Red Cedar owned by John and Lou Harmon.

The Green Ash belonging to the Educational Trust is 88 feet tall, 177 inches around and has a spread of 84 feet. Smith’s Crape Myrtle is 43 feet tall, 78 inches around and has a spread of 33 feet.

Bell’s Winged Elm is 85 feet tall, 142 inches around and has a spread of 74 feet. The Eastern Red Cedar belonging to the Harmons is 52 feet tall, is 179 inches around and has a spread of 27 feet.

I think it’s also worth noting that Wilcox County has more Champion Trees than any other county in Alabama with the exception of Madison, Baldwin and Cleburne counties. Madison County has 14 Champion Trees and one National Champion.

Baldwin County, said to be the largest county geographically east of the Mississippi River, has 11 Champion Trees and two National Champions.

Cleburne County has 11 Champion Trees. Etowah County, like Wilcox, also has nine Champion Trees, and one National Champion.

In the end, if you’re interested in learning more about the Alabama Forestry Commission’s Champion Tree Program, visit the commission’s Web site at www.forestry.alabama.gov. Anyone can nominate a tree for Champion Tree status, so if you think you know of a tree that might be in the running for this honor, fill out the online nomination form on the commission’s Web site. Once you’ve completed the form, the commission will dispatch a forester to the tree’s location, where he’ll take the tree’s official measurements.