BIG TREES

Did you know Illinois has a registry of big trees? Maintained by the University of Illinois Extension and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the registry lists more than 70 trees that represent the largest examples of native tree species in Illinois. Measurement is based on a formula that accounts for trunk circumference, height and crown spread. Five of the trees listed are in Springfield, and while some are on private property, two of them are accessible to the public. There’s an 87-foot-tall chestnut oak at Lincoln Memorial Garden Nature Center, as well as a 106-foot-tall Kentucky coffeetree located in Carpenter Park. Guy Sternberg, founder of Starhill Forest Arboretum between Springfield and Petersburg, has nominated more champion trees than anyone else in Illinois. He recommends checking out a very large Deam Oak at West Cottonhill Park on Lake Springfield. Because the Deam Oak is a hybrid, it isn’t listed on the state registry, Sternberg says. He also recommends checking out the recently deceased Gudgel Oak on Gudgel Road near the arboretum. Estimated to have started growing around 1750, the tree was mostly removed in November after slowly dying from drought and damage. However, Sternberg says the impressive 22-foot stump that remains has been decorated with a Christmas wreath by an unknown person.