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Our Leland, Mi Champion Tree-
We now know that our Leland Champion Tree was planted in or around 1901 by Ozzie Cordes, a Leland resident and businessman. This cottonwood tree's (Populus deltoides) magnificence is without question. Brian Hiemstra of Bartlett Tree Experts, an international firm with a branch office in Grand Rapids, gave us the tree's impressive measurements: approximately 80 feet tall with a horizontal (canopy) spread of up to 75 feet, and a trunk diameter of over six feet. Some of its lower branches are up to 18 inches in diameter.
Textbooks say that cottonwood species and hybrids commonly decline in health after 70 years of age. However, James Scarlata of The Tree Doctors, Inc. in Manistee notes in his report, "The tree is still vigorously growing in spite of its age." This is especially amazing considering all the years it's been exposed to the winds and weather coming off Lake Michigan. As one of our Road Commission members said, "That is one tough, old tree."
David Milarch of the Champion Tree Project defines the significance of our tree in environmental terms by reminding us that a tree's canopy is our natural filter system. Imagine what our Champion Tree has filtered over the years!
And its cultural place is well documented, according to Richard Rossman, President of the Fishtown Preservation Society. "The Champion Tree is a contributing feature in the Leland Historic District. The district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975…the Nation's list of properties worthy of preservation." Our Champion Tree proudly stands as the gateway to Fishtown's entrance.
As Rossman wrote in his organization's letter to the Leelanau County Road Commission, "The loss of the champion tree will have an adverse effect on the historic district because it will diminish the visual quality of the landscape that supports the very heart of the district."
Help us to learn more about our Champion Tree. If you have historic photos of the tree or information about the tree's rich past, please share them with us…so that we can share them with our visitors to this site.
To learn more about the Champion Tree Project, a Michigan-based, international organization begun in 1996 by David Milarch, go to www.championtreeproject.org. According to that website, a national champion tree is defined as "the largest specimen of its species…only native and naturalized trees are eligible." Our tree is among some pretty impressive company.
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