Wilcox County currently has eight 'Champion Trees' within its borders

There are 907 square miles of land within the boundaries of Wilcox County, and much of that acreage is covered by lush woodlands. These forests contain hundreds of thousands of trees, and of all those trees, there are eight in Wilcox County that are truly noteworthy.

Fifty-three years ago, in 1970, the Alabama Forestry Commission started its Champion Tree program, and eight remarkable 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 111 feet tall, 184 inches in circumference and has a crown spread of 68 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 103 feet tall, 49 inches around and has a crown spread of 30 feet. Their Chalk Maple is 43 feet tall, 43 inches around and has a spread of 43 feet. Their Two-winged Silverbell is 48 feet tall, 45 inches around and has a crown spread of 25 feet.

Other Champion Trees in Wilcox County include a Green Ash owned by the Allyrae Wallace Educational Trust, 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. 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 except for Baldwin, Cleburne and Madison counties. Madison County has 13 Champion Trees. Baldwin County, said to be the largest county geographically east of the Mississippi River, has 11 Champion Trees. Cleburne County has 21 Champion Trees.

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.