There are two new champion trees in Wyoming.
A Lombardy Poplar in Riverton and a Utah Juniper in Fremont County have been added to the Wyoming Champion Tree Register. They are, officially, the best-known trees of their kind growing in the Cowboy State.
The Wyoming State Champion Tree program has nearly 60 trees in its register, including the highest-scoring specimens of northern catalpa, American elm, and bur oak and several other species.
William Ozment, the Wyoming State Champion Tree program coordinator, said the newest champions are exciting additions.
“They’re significant and magnificent trees,” he told Cowboy State Daily.
Popular Poplar
The new Wyoming State Champion Lombardy Poplar was nominated to the Wyoming State Champion Tree Register by Josh Shroyer. It stands 75 feet tall, has a trunk circumference of over 15 feet, and its average crown spread is 24.5 feet.
There’s a universal scoring rubric used to determine all state and national champion trees. The Riverton Lombardy Poplar got a total score of 267.125, which is almost double the score of the previous champion.
“All trees of the Populus genus are fast-growing in sandy, loamy soils,” Ozment said. “It’s widespread in Wyoming, especially in urban and community forestry.”
The Lombardy Poplar is a type of cottonwood, but it’s not native to Wyoming. It’s a popular plant because its towering height and relatively constrained spread make it an excellent, natural windbreak and privacy screen.
Even non-native trees can qualify to be State Champions. All that matters is whether it’s the best example of its type in the state, and this tree in Riverton qualified by a significant margin.
And how are those dimensions measured? Height and crown spread are fairly straightforward, but Ozment said trunk circumference has a specific point for measurement.
“We measure from breast height, which is 4.5 feet,” he said. “You might deviate a little bit if there’s branches or a canker in the way, but that’s generally where they measure.”
Carpetbagging Champion
Most of the junipers growing in Wyoming are Juniperus scopulorum, the Rocky Mountain Juniper. It’s the most widespread juniper species in North America.
Wyoming’s State Champion Utah Juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, is growing in Fremont County and is the first of its kind ever added to the Wyoming Champion Tree Register. It was also nominated by Josh Shroyer.
This Utah Juniper has a height of 23 feet, a trunk circumference of 87 inches, just over seven feet, and an average crown spread of 20.3 feet.
“That’s quite large for Wyoming,” Ozment said.
Utah Junipers can be found as far north as southern Montana, but the bulk of them grow in Utah and the southwestern U.S. According to Ozment, that makes this tree a particularly exciting addition to the register because of its comparative rarity in Wyoming.
“The biggest difference between Utah and Rocky Mountain junipers is form,” he said. “They both have a rounded, pyramidal crown, but Rocky Mountain Junipers are more like a large shrub than a small tree. Utah Junipers grow a bit bigger and taller, but they need a more specific soil type to grow.”
Ozment hasn’t been out to see this tree in person yet, but he’s eager for the opportunity. Examining it in person will allow him to learn more, such as determining its approximate age.
“You can get a general idea from the circumference and height, based on the species, so I don't want to give a ballpark without having looked at it myself,” he said.
Defending The Title
Wyoming’s state champion trees aren’t actively sought out. All of them have been brought to the attention of the Wyoming State Forestry Division via nominations. Ozment said that between five and 10 new champion trees are verified each year, either as newly added species or by supplanting an existing champion with a higher score.
There is a National Champion Tree Program, but Wyoming currently has none. The closest national champion is a century-old eastern cottonwood growing in Nebraska’s Pibel Lake Recreation Area, which is 85 feet tall with a 37.2-foot-wide trunk.
“Everything measured up,” Justin Evertson, green infrastructure coordinator for the Nebraska Forest Service, told Cowboy State Daily in March 2025. “It’s the only national champion tree we have in Nebraska, and we’re very proud to have it designated as such.”
Being a state or national champion tree doesn’t come with any perks other than bragging rights. The trees don’t have any special protections, but the register helps raise awareness and advocates for their continued existence.
Nothing’s set in stone, especially since all champion trees are made of living wood. Ozment knows there are more state champions, and maybe even a national champion, waiting to be noticed, nominated, and verified.
A tree-loving Wyomingite might see these Lombardy Poplar and Utah Juniper champion trees and believe there’s a better contender. If they think they’ve found one, Ozment wants to know.
“There could always be a larger tree out there,” he said. “That’s the exciting part about this registry.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
