Connecticut's Largest Tree, a sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is named in memory of Gifford Pinchot. The tree is located on the east bank of the Farmington River in the Weatogue section of Simsbury. The late William Linke of New London, who began the Notable Trees Project, provides scale in this 1985 photograph by G. Dreyer.

Our State is blessed with a rich diversity of plants, animals, forests, and historic resources. We all share a concern for preserving this cultural landscape, the things that give our state its unique character. Trees are symbolic of our relationship with nature, a touchstone to the past and future.

Established in 1985, the Notable Trees Project collects and distributes information about Connecticut's largest and most historic trees, both native and introduced. By educating our fellow citizens about the importance of our state's natural heritage we work to preserve it. It is a volunteer enterprise sponsored by the Connecticut Botanical Society, The Connecticut College Arboretum, and the Connecticut Urban Forest Council.

A book by Glenn Dreyer, "Connecticut's Notable Trees," was published by the Connecticut Botanical Society and the Covered Bridge Press in 1989, 1990 and 1998. The later editions were the same as the original, except that they were perfect bound and included updated Champion Tree Lists. Most libraries in the state have copies of the book, which is currently out of print.

A computer database is maintained at the Connecticut College Arboretum that includes records of over 2,600 individual trees (as of Jan. 1, 2004) in the state. Information for each tree includes size, location, ownership, and condition. The champion tree lists below are derived from this database.

Exact locations of the trees are not given because we do not have permission from most owners of trees on private property to publish their locations. In the future, we hope to develop lists that will include locations of trees growing on land open to the public.

In order to make it easier to update Notable Tree information on this page, and so copies of the information can be easily saved and printed, the lists below are formatted for Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf files). A free copy of Acrobat Reader is available here.