Champion Tree

RI Tree Crowns Another Champion Tree

Written by Lou DiToro on October 3, 2022. Posted in Article, Champion Tree.

John Campanini, Technical Director

The Rhode Island Tree Council has named another Rhode Island champion tree. A beautiful and healthy Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) located on Comstock Road in North Smithfield was crowned a species champion recently by RI Tree Council. The tree measures 12’ in trunk circumference with an 83’crown spread.

The tree is 91 feet tall and is estimated to be 150-200 years old. The Shagbark hickory is a native tree. According to fossil records, this species once thrived in Central Europe, China, and Alaska! Anthony Chernasky, the tree’s owner, nominated it.

RI Tree found another champion tree not long ago. Previously, RI Tree named a White Willow (Salix alba) growing on Dexter Rock Road in Lincoln, RI.

The White Willow is one of six willow species classified as a true “Weeping Willow” for having the iconic pendulous form that this special group is known for. The Lincoln-based champion has a trunk circumference of 22 feet. It is 86′ tall with an average crown spread of 73 feet. Jeffrey Crompton, the tree’s owner, nominated it.

The Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust, managed by the Rhode Island Foundation, provides funding for the Helen Walker Champion Tree program. RI Tree popularized the program with annual calendars illustrating the champions and other noteworthy trees. RITree published the first summary publication of Rhode Island Champion Trees in 2008. Contact RI Tree for the latest summary publication

To submit a nomination, the Council asks you to complete our simple form and that you include a photograph, a circumference measurement, and some special notes. We urge you to partake with other Rhode Islanders in discovering and nominating trees you find to be culturally, historically, or biologically notable. See RI Tree’s website for more information on the Helen Walker Champion Tree program.

The tree is 91 feet tall and is estimated to be 150-200 years old. The Shagbark hickory is a native tree. According to fossil records, this species once thrived in Central Europe, China, and Alaska! Anthony Chernasky, the tree’s owner, nominated it.

Big Trees Fall in Warwick

Written by RITree on December 28, 2019. Posted in Champion Tree. No Comments on Big Trees Fall in Warwick

This rapacious tree felling did not have to happen. But trees have no protection against this type of slaughter. As of this writing, there is no regulation on the books in any city or town in Rhode Island that would have saved these trees or, at least, prompted a public hearing to discuss alternatives to their condemnation. Developers know this all too well. They know trees are the proverbial weaklings among the major natural resources in this state. Just try to alter a water body in any way, shape or form. Or, for that matter, try to bury anything in soil not rocks. There’s a reason for all those hay bales popping up at construction sites and it’s for protection. But when did you ever observe a hay bale around a tree? The answer is never.

This lack of tree protection is a serious flaw in state and local environmental planning policy. But don’t look for change any time soon. This would require leadership and courage on the part of our elected and appointed officials. But few if any of them show any interest in going up against the builders, developers and lobbyists who will fight tooth and nail to staunchly defend the status quo.

The message here is that not all natural resources are equal when it comes to protections under the law in Rhode Island. Trees and forests got the short stick. Until trees get more respect, we can expect what happened in Warwick to recur again and again.

Species	Trunk	Height	Crown Spread	Species Rank
American Linden	158″	88′	63′	5
Cucumber Magnolia	124″	80′	58′	2
Weeping Beech	98″	67′	47′	6
Tuliptree	187″	121′	77′	4

Traveling Trees

Written by RITree on December 9, 2019. Posted in Article, Champion Tree.

The Giant Redwood is one of the oldest and largest species on earth. Its natural provenance is the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin of Nevada. The Rhode Island Champ is a lot closer. The Old World Tree can be viewed by the public at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol, RI. Lastly, there are the introduced or exotic species (“Introduced to RI”). They hail from the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. One of them, the Mongolian oak, is considered by experts as one of the rarest trees on Earth!

This very rare Mongolian Oak stands 40’ tall with a crown spread of 97’. Find out more about this spectacular species and others in article below.

The tree champions come from near and far. Those calling Rhode Island home head the list “RI Natives”. They include the Red and Sugar maple, the Red oak, Tuliptree, and Eastern White pine. They occur naturally in the Ocean State and are among the true RI natives appearing on the list. Those farther afield but claiming their origin within America’s Coastlines belong to the biggest group of species champions “Natives of North America”. The Sequoiadendron giganteum, Giant Redwood, is probably the most fascinating of them. The Giant Redwood is one of the oldest and largest species on earth. Its natural provenance is the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin of Nevada. The Rhode Island Champ is a lot closer. The Old World Tree can be viewed by the public at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol, RI. Lastly, there are the introduced or exotic species (“Introduced to RI”). They hail from the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. One of them, the Mongolian oak, is considered by experts as one of the rarest trees on Earth!

View the PDF showing each champions place of origin.

Rhode Island has trees from all over the world. See our Native Champions, our North American Champions and our Champions from other continents.

2019 Rhode Island Champion Tree List

Written by RITree on December 8, 2019. Posted in Champion Tree.

We are proud to Introduce the New and updated Champion Tree List.

The latest updated list of Rhode Island Champion Trees is now available. This new version shows all 144 species champions through June 30, 2019. Of this total, 138 are genuine dye-in-the-wool species.

They are the purebreds of the collection and responsible for a grand total of 134 species champions (4 species have co-champions). The rest (6 plants) are classified as either species cultivars, varieties, or hybrids. There are also a total of 70 genera (singular: genus) identified in the CTL. The genus is used in the plant world to segregate species by their common traits into major plant groupings. The largest genera on the list, with eleven species each, are the Oaks (Quercus) and the Maples (Acer). Next, with six species each, are the Firs (Abies) and the Pines (Pinus). A quick glance reveals they are the exceptions, however, as most genera have only one or two species. They are presented in alphabetical order by Genus and Species. Included with each tree is information on their location, size measurements and total point score.

View this complete list of spectacular tree champions.

2023 Champion Tree List.pdf Download