Arlington National Cemetery is now the home of three Virginia State Champions and one co-champion. To be named an official state champion, the Virginia Big Tree Program must deem it to be the largest of that species in the state.
A Sawtooth Oak in section 12, which was previously the second largest in the state, has become the new champion, joining the cemetery's Empress and Yellowwood trees in sections 46 and 23, respectively. The cemetery's Pin Oak in section 35, previously a champion that fell to the number two spot in 2012, has grown enough in the past three years to earn it a co-champion distinction, sharing the championship with another tree in the state.
Arlington National Cemetery contains what is likely the most unique cluster of significant trees in the state. At last count, fifteen high value trees are documented as state or county champions within the cemetery’s 624 acres, according to Greg Zell, northern Virginia volunteer for the tree program.
Steve Van Hoven, Arlington's chief of horticulture and master arborist, explains the program uses a point system that adds up the tree's circumference in inches, its height in feet, and average crown spread in feet. The tree with the highest number of points is given the honor. If two trees are within five points of each other, like the cemetery's Pin Oak, the two trees are designated as co-champions.
"ANC is proud of our champion trees. They are valuable specimens in our Arboretum collections and prime examples of the cemetery's commitment to preserving the magnificent trees we have. The designation also brings attention to the cemetery's world-class horticulture program."
The Sawtooth Oak has a circumference of 156 inches, is 55 feet high and has an average crown spread of 84 feet. The Empress tree has a circumference of 213 inches, is 57 feet high and has an average crown spread of 64 feet. The Yellowwood has a circumference of 154 inches, is 45 feet high and has an average crown spread of 56 feet. The Pin Oak has a circumference of 192 inches, is 126 feet high and has an average crown spread of nearly 112 feet.
Photos of the trees are available on the cemetery's Flickr page.
Virginia Tech manages the Virginia Big Tree Program and Arlington County manages a more local Arlington County Champion Tree Program. Both web sites host information and photos of the cemetery's trees.