CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — The City of Carmel has found the biggest tree in the city, and it’s a Sycamore tree!
Residents were invited to submit their biggest trees in a month-long contest centered around Arbor Day this year. The contest was organized by the Carmel Urban Forestry.
The city examined the entries and gathered measurements to determine the biggest tree in Carmel. The Wong family was the winning entry. This family submitted their big tree that measured 271.8 inches in circumference. That’s almost 60 inches bigger than the runner-up tree on Canary Court.
Carmel has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 27 years and a Tree City Growth award winner for more than 20 years for increasing the number of trees in the community. The city added 600 trees last year.
“I wanted to create a way to make our residents more aware of our mature urban forest. This contest helped them see how many large old trees exist in our community and reminded them of this valuable asset,” Mayor Jim Brainard said.
The city’s Urban Forestry Committee celebrated Arbor Day with the Big Tree Contest. There were a total of 142 entries in 10 species categories. The largest tree was determined from those species finalists. The winner was announced at the Carmel Farmers Market’s first weekend in May.
Carmel’s environmental planner and urban forestry expert, Daren Mindham, said the contest increased residents’ interest in the urban forest and large trees in Carmel. They plan to continue the contest in the future.
More information about the Urban Forestry can be found on the Carmel Urban Forestry website.
