The search for the state's biggest trees

Joseph Malan
The News-Dispatch

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is looking for the state's biggest trees, and Brian Mann believes he's found one.Mann of The Tree Mann Inc., La Porte, recently submitted a nomination to the state for a large ginkgo tree growing at 1515 Michigan Ave.

According to Mann's submitted paperwork, the tree is 92 feet and 6 inches tall, and measures 104 7/8 inches around the trunk.The ginkgo is mostly distinguished by its green, fan-shaped leaves.

Unfortunately, Mann thinks the DNR is looking for trees that are native to Indiana, which the ginkgo is not.

La Porte city forester Keith O'Herrin says that's the tallest tree of its kind he's ever seen."... the one we have in the city is the largest we've heard of," O'Herrin said.There are some pretty big trees in Michigan City, too.

None are large enough to make a state record, but they are very tall and very old."We have quite a few (red oaks) that are over 160 feet tall and 50 inches in diameter," Michigan City Forester Frank Seilheimer said. "They don't get much larger than that. They're probably like 180 to 200 years old."Some red oaks are located at the playground on Gardena Street, while others are along Poplar Street and Springland Avenue.

There are also some very large beech trees on Shady Lane on the east side of town, Seilheimer said.

The DNR accepts nominations for the state's largest trees every five years. There are three requirements for nomination: circumfrence measurement at 4 1/2 feet above ground, total height and average crown spread. Crown spread is the distance the limbs spread out from the trunk of the tree.

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