Colorado's Largest Narrow Leaf Cottonwood Tree

Colorado's Largest Narrow Leaf Cottonwood Tree. . , The tree before you is the largest narrow leaf cottonwood tree in the State of Colorado and second in the nation to a tree located in Murray City, Utah. Indications are that the tree is approximately 140 years old. It was planted in the 19th century, thrived despite adversity throughout the 20th century, and is now apparently healthy, well into the 21st century. The cottonwood tree's whopping 63.10" diameter and 198.13" circumference, also taking into account 94.32 foot height and crown spread averaged at 75 feet, equate to a cumulative state and national point ranking of 310.88 as tabulated by both the Colorado Tree Coalition and the National American Forests. The tree in Murray, Utah was given a point ranking of 312, making the Lake City tree practically a tie for first place in the nation. The fact that the champion tree has survived until nearly 140 years of age is in itself miraculous. The tree received different maintenance throughout the years, a key factor in its survival up through the mid 1960's being its location immediately adjacent to the town ditch. The tree has fended for itself since the ditches were discontinued in the 1960's, however, and its location outside the town's main residential district accounted for the fact that it was never pruned or topped as part of the town tree maintenance program. The champ cottonwood also narrowly escaped being severely damaged or killed when a neighboring house burned to the ground in 1961. The tree's deep furrowed bark may conceal stray bullets from ammunition which exploded during the height of the early morning blaze.