The biggest American elm.So far the dreaded fungus hasn't crossed the Kansas plains to where this patriarch stands in regal isolation. Kansas is better known for its amber waves of grain than for towering trees, but its only state forest boasts the largest average tree size east of California. Established a few years ago, the Louis Vieux State Forest is a unique old-growth forest in which every single tree is a national champion. Okay, so there's only one tree in this forest, which stretches across all of half an acre, but that one tree, an American elm, is indeed a champion. More than perhaps any other tree, the American elm is entwined in our nation's history. Historic elms have been associated with William Penn, George Washington, Chief Logan Chief Logan (c. 1725–1780) was a Mingo American Indian leader in the era before the American Revolutionary War, whose revenge for the brutal killing of his family members by American frontiersmen helped spark the 1774 conflict known as Dunmore's War. , and Abraham Lincoln, to name only a few. In fact, it was an interest in history that led Ted Cunningham to discover the champion at a site where pioneers, following the Oregon Trail Oregon Trail, overland emigrant route in the United States from the Missouri River to the Columbia River country (all of which was then called Oregon). The pioneers by wagon train did not, however, follow any single narrow route. , forded the Vermillion River Vermilion River or Vermillion River is the name of several rivers: In Canada
Ironically, the champion owes its regal status to Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease: see diseases of plants; elm. Dutch elm disease Widespread disease that kills elms, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis ulmi. It was first identified in the U.S. , the bane BANE. This word was formerly used to signify a malefactor. Bract. 1. 2, t. 8, c. 1. of most of the nation's American elm trees. Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus that hitchhikes from tree to tree on a tiny bark beetle bark beetle Any member of the beetle family Scolytidae, many of which severely damage trees. Bark beetles are cylindrical, brown or black, and usually less than 0.25 in. (6 mm) long. . The beetles were brought to America in 1909 in shipments of European elm logs imported to make veneer. The Louis Vieux elm was crowned in 1979 after the then-national champion succumbed to the deadly fungus. It was dethroned in 1986 by an elm in Virginia but regained the crown two years later when that tree also fell victim to the disease. There is as yet no cure for Dutch elm disease, and the fungus continues to spread. However, researchers have developed American elms that are more resistant to the fungus, raising hopes for a future graced by these stately trees. Meanwhile, the 277-year-old champion keeps on growing, safely isolated out on the Kansas plain. Common Name American elm Scientific Name Ulmus americana Location Louisville, Kansas Nominator Gary Naughton Owner State of Kansas Most Recent Measurement 1991 Circumference at 4 1/2 feet 312 in. Height 100 ft. Crown Spread 91 ft. Total Points 435 The National Register of Big Trees The National Register of Big Trees is a list of the largest living specimens of each tree variety found in the continental United States. A tree on this list is often called a National Champion Tree. is sponsored by the Davey Tree Expert Company. |
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