Nine New State Champion Trees Recognized at York Street

In late 2019, 15 trees from Denver Botanic Gardens’ York Street collections were nominated for Colorado Champion Tree status. This month we received the certificates for nine trees that are now recognized as the largest of their type in the state of Colorado. The trees are scored based upon a combination of overall height, canopy spread and the circumference of the trunk. The Colorado Tree Coalition administrates this program and with these new additions, we now have more than 40 champion trees at York Street.

These are the newly recognized champions and the garden where each is growing:

•    Abies grandis (grand fir) – Rock Alpine Garden

•    Larix sibirica ‘Conica’ (Siberian larch) – Birds and Bees Walk

•    Picea glauca ‘Pendula’ (weeping white spruce) – Rock Alpine Garden

•    Picea koraiensis (Korean spruce) – June’s PlantAsia

•    Picea omorika (Serbian spruce) – Romantic Garden

•    Picea orientalis (Oriental spruce) – Japanese Garden

•    Quercus turbinella (shrub live oak) – Steppe Garden

•    Thuja plicata (western red cedar) – Rock Alpine Garden

•    Tilia japonica (Japanese linden) – Japanese Garden

These trees, and the previously named champions, can be viewed through this Gardens Navigator tour

Labels with the proclamation of their champion status will be added in the coming months. I hope you can come see these champions in person and appreciate their beauty in the Gardens.

Photos by Ann Frazier.