Announcing Metro Atlanta Big Tree Search

The Big Tree Search was designed to identify the largest trees of each native Georgia species while bringing awareness to the beauty, history, and benefits old trees provide our community.

Funds for this project were provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Grant Assistance program administered through the Georgia Forestry Commission

Native Georgia Trees

There are about 250 species native to the state of Georgia. A few are listed below due to their distribution or unusual characteristics.

Ash-Green & White
Baldcypress
Basswood-White
Beech-American
Birch-River & Sweet
Boxelder
Buckeye-Painted
Butternut
Cedar-Red & White
Cherry-Black
Chestnut-American
Cottonwood-Eastern & Swamp
Cucmubertree
Dogwood-Flowering
Dahoon
Elm-American, Slippery & Winged
Hackberry-Georgia
Hawthorn
Hemlock
Hickory-Bitternut, Carolina, Mockernut, Pignut, Red, Sand, Shagbark & Shellbark
Holly-American
Hophornbeam-Eastern
Hornbeam-American
Locust-American
Magnolia-Fraser, Southern & Umbrella
Maple-Chalk, Florida & Red
Mulberry-Red
Oak-Black, Blackjack, Bluejack, Chestnut, Georgia, Laurel, Live, Northern Red, Post, Scarlet, Shumward, Southern Red, Swamp Chestnut, Turkey, Water, White, Willow
Pine-Eastern White, Loblolly, Longleaf, Pitch, Pond, Shortleaf, Slash, Spruce, Table Mountain & Virginia
Persimmon
Redbud-Eastern
Sasafras
Serviceberry-Downy
Sourwood
Sweetbay
Sweetgum
Sycamore-American
Tupelo-Black, Swamp, Water
Walnut-Black
Willow-Black
Yaupon
Yellow-Poplar

Big Tree Search
Nomination Form

Park Pride is looking for the largest tree of each native Georgia species in metro-Atlanta. Nominations are accepted year-round with winners announced on Arbor Day, always the third Friday in February. All trees will be measured by a certified arborist from Arborguard Tree Specialists.

Nominate on-line at www.parkpride.org

Tree Species ____________________________________________________________

Owner ___________________________________________________________________

Telephone _______________________________________________________________

Address of Nominator ____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Estimated circumference at 4-1/2 feet above the soil line _______________

Estimated height ________________________________________________________

Estimated crown width ___________________________________________________

Location/address of Tree ________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Please mail this form to Park Pride, Attention: Big Tree Search
675 Ponce de Leon Avenue, 8th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30308
Or fax to Park Pride at: 404-817-6745
For more information call 404-817-6761

Estimating the Height of a Tree

You can use your high school trigonometry to estimate the height of a tree.

Method 1: Knowing the Angle

  1. Move a fixed distance from the base of the tree.
  2. Sight to the top of the tree using a surveying telescope.
  3. Note the angle of inclination.
  4. Compute the height of the tree as follows: 
    
   Height = (distance from tree) X tangent (angle of inclination) +
            height of telescope above the ground

Method 2: With a Little Help from a Friend

  1. Position your friend between you and the tree.
  2. Get close to the ground and try to form a straight line of sight from your position to the top of your friend's head and to the top of the tree.
  3. Have you friend move backward or forward until you can achieve the straight line of sight.
  4. Estimate the height of the tree from the following formula: 
    
   Height = (Distance from tree)/(Distance from your friend) X
            (Height of your friend)