In the U.K. a Champion tree is one which is either the tallest or has the largest trunk girth of the species. This photo of the champion Betula ermanii was taken on Sunday 25 Nov. at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum. This tree, measured in 2006, has a height of 24.2m(approx 78ft 7ins) and has a diameter of 120 cms(approx 3ft 10 ins). Measurements taken from Westonbirt site www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt Isn't it a beauty!
Over here it's handled by American Forests and they stick dogmatically to Checklist of Native and Naturalized Trees by Elbert F Little for their lists of species kept track of. Hundreds of kinds of non-native species are therefore left out. To find data for those you have to look to the books of individuals such as the long out-of-print NORTH AMERICAN LANDSCAPE TREES by Arthur Lee Jacobson, regional titles like CHAMPION TREES OF WASHINGTON STATE by Robert Van Pelt (probably now also out-of-print) and any other sources that can be found out. Some spectacular native trees can be seen on the web pages of Eastern Native Tree Society (or ENTS, a source of a smile for those familiar with The Lord of the Rings).
Hi alex66. Hugh Angus Head of tree collections at Westonbirt describes this tree as the best of any birch you will see in the arboretum. He is also sure it is by far the oldest Birch at Westonbirt,as they do not tend to be long lived.He describes Betula ermanii as a species native to E asia, from Kamchatka peninsula south through pacific Russia to Korea and Japan and westwards as far as Lake Baikal. Hope this answers your question. Luddite
Different introductions vary in characteristics, but perhaps due to species growing up into high altitudes at least part of cultivated stock shows tendency to be comparatively squat.
While many of same species have broadly conical habit heaviness of individual branches not shared by all. You can also see occasional individuals of other species with disproportionate limbs.
