The Big Tree

The Big Tree is a nearly 400-year-old bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) tree near the Missouri River in Boone County, Missouri. It is tied for National Champion, representing the largest tree of its species in the United States. Standing alone in the floodplain of the Missouri River, and near the city of Columbia, Missouri, it is a well-known landmark and has inspired artists, folklorists, photographers, and nature lovers for hundreds of years. The tree stands 27 m (89 ft) high, has a crown 40 m (130 ft) wide, and a trunk 7.5 ft (2.3 m) in diameter.[1]

This article is about the tree in Missouri. For other topics, see Big Tree (disambiguation).
The Big Tree in Spring

The land on which the tree grows is private, and has been farmed by the Williamson family for six generations, although it is publicly accessible by Bur Oak Road. The Katy Trail State Park, a popular rail trail, is just yards from the tree, making it a common side-trip for cyclists. The small village of McBaine is within sight of the tree, and the village of Huntsdale is nearby. It is part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The Big Tree was cloned by scientists at the University of Missouri and many offspring from both clones and acorns are growing in front yards, city parks, and schoolyards around Missouri and beyond.

History

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Big Tree is somewhere between 350 and 400 years old, having sprouted sometime in the 1600s. The tree was already around 200 years old when the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed nearby. The size of the tree has made coring and accurate dating difficult. It has been the state champion Bur Oak since 1987.[2]

The tree has survived many droughts and floods, including the Great Flood of 1993, when water stood nearly 2 meters deep around its trunk. Lightning has struck the tree often, including in October 2020, when a strike lit a fire in the core, burning out a large space inside the tree. The fire was widely reported by the press and also attracted much community concern.[3][4] The Boone County Fire Department arrived quickly and extinguished the blaze with great effort.[5] Irrespective of the fire, the tree had been in decline for several years, due to age, drought, and flooding.[6][7]

  • Acorns from the Big Tree
    Acorns from the Big Tree
  • Reflection
    Reflection
  • Morning
    Morning
  • Firefighters work to extinguish a fire inside the Big Tree in 2020
    Firefighters work to extinguish a fire inside the Big Tree in 2020

See also

References
  1. "COMO YOU KNOW: McBaine bur oak tree". Columbia Missourian. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  2. "The mighty Ones". Missouri Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  3. "Missouri's champion bur oak tree seared by lightning strike". Springfield News-leader.
  4. "Columbia, Missouri landmark Big Tree struck by lightening". KMBC Kansas City. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  5. "After lightning strike, an outpouring of love and hope for Missouri's 'big tree'". Rolla Daily News. Archived from the original on 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  6. "Rooting for the Big Tree". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  7. "In Missouri, Days Of Drought Send Caretakers To One 'Big Tree'". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-11-26.


38°53′57.52″N 92°27′52.57″W

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