(Jennings County, IN) - A tree in Indiana is listed as the largest of its species in the country.

 

The swamp chestnut oak tree is 95 feet tall with a circumference of 318 feet along with a canopy spread of 118 feet.  The tree is on a family farm in downstate Jennings County.

 

Gov. Mike Braun on Tuesday helped present the owners with a certificate recognizing them for their impressive tree.

 

“The Schepman family and private landowners across the state deserve high praise for their commitment to growing healthy trees like this giant in Jennings County, which I hope continues to stand tall for generations of future Hoosiers to enjoy,” he said.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the swamp chestnut oak is native to “the Atlantic Coastal Plain from New Jersey and extreme eastern Pennsylvania, south to north Florida, and west to east Texas.  It’s also found from the Mississippi River Valley to extreme southeast Oklahoma, Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, southeast Kentucky and eastern Tennessee.

Indiana’s current state champion trees are posted at on.IN.gov/big-tree.