Time once again to update the Hamilton Roster of Charlotte’s Champion Trees

The Rutter Family Tree Fund maintains and updates the Hamilton Roster of Champion Trees, named in honor of former Charlotte tree warden, Larry Hamilton. The roster was last updated in June 2022.

Photo by Vince Crockenberg.
Charlotte’s champion white ash on the southwest corner of Thompson’s Point and Lake roads. The tree is protected from emerald ash borer infestation, and certain death, by regular insecticide injections donated by Greg Ranallo’s Teacher’s Tree Service of Charlotte. While emerald ash borer has not yet been detected in Charlotte, it typically takes three-to-five years before an infected tree shows symptoms, and infections have been confirmed in Shelburne and South Burlington. — Photo by Vince Crockenberg
Charlotte’s champion white ash on the southwest corner of Thompson’s Point and Lake roads. The tree is protected from emerald ash borer infestation, and certain death, by regular insecticide injections donated by Greg Ranallo’s Teacher’s Tree Service of Charlotte. While emerald ash borer has not yet been detected in Charlotte, it typically takes three-to-five years before an infected tree shows symptoms, and infections have been confirmed in Shelburne and South Burlington.

The current roster (below) lists the biggest known trees of each species in Charlotte, whether on private or public property. For purposes of the roster, champion status is determined by the tree’s girth, in inches, 4 1/2 feet from the ground.

If you believe you have identified a tree that is larger than the current champion of that species or that places a new tree species on the list, measure the tree at that height. Then send your measurement, along with a photo if possible, to Vince Crockenberg with the words “Champion Tree” in the subject line. Someone from the Rutter Fund will then contact you and set up a time to confirm the tree’s species and girth.

In addition, many of the listed champion trees may well have grown substantially in girth since they were last measured. If you think that might be the case with a champion on your property, let us know and we’ll come out and remeasure it.

Finally, we’re trying to provide GPS coordinates for each of our champion trees so we can place them on a town map more accurately. We’re missing those addresses for many of the champs. If you have a champion on your property and could provide us with the GPS coordinates, in either decimal degrees or degrees/minutes/seconds, we’ll add those coordinates to the Hamilton Roster.

You’ll note that most of Charlotte’s champion trees reside on private property. If you want to visit any of them, please contact the landowners for permission.

(Vince Crockenberg is a member of the board of the Rutter Family Tree Fund.)