There is something about a big tree that commands interest, respect and a certain amount of awe.
Trees are the largest and oldest living organisms.
Missouri doesn't have the grant sequoias, but we did at one time register a baldcypress that was 39 feet in circumference, or 12.5 feet in diameter. American Forests and the Missouri Department of Conservation use a formula to assess a point value for big trees. Points are determined by a tree's height, crown spread and trunk size. Using this formula, the largest known living tree in Missouri is a cherrybark oak with a point total of 458. The tree with the largest circumference is a sycamore which is 26 feet 7 inches.