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On both State and National levels, interest in endangered tree species has led to identifying champion trees. The designation of National Champion is made by the American Forest publication, while that of Florida champions is made by the Florida Division of Forestry.

Champions are determined using a point system which considers height, circumference of the trunk, crown spread, and physical condition of the tree. The best tree in the species is designated a Champion; the second best is a Challenger. The Key West Botanical Garden has seven trees that are either champions or challengers, and one that has received honorable mention:

As you enter the garden from the parking lot, the yellow arrows will direct you to make a sharp right turn. Follow the yellow arrows along the trail to the Champion Trees. Each tree is identified with a number and a yellow sign. In the order that you will see them, the trees are:

1. Royal Poinciana
Delonix regia -- Honorable Mention
The name regia, meaning royal, is well-deserved by this gorgeous flowering tree. Some of the common names--peacock flower, flamboyent tree, and flame of the forest--reflect the beauty of its five-inch flowers, which may vary in color from crimson through scarlet and orange to salmon, some streaked with yellow or white. The blooming period begins in April and continues for several months. The foot-long, flat, woody, brown seed pods hang on the tree, often until the flowering of the following season begins. The leaves, which are divided into many hundreds of tiny leaflets, may be up to two feet long. They contribute to the feathery grace of this tree, a native of Madagascar. It grows in Florida only in the Keys and southernmost areas of the peninsula. It may reach a height of 60 feet.

2. Cuban Lignum Vitae
Guiacum officinale -- Florida Champion
This squat, low tree may reach a height of 25 feet, but it is commonly much smaller. Our Champion tree is 22 feet high. It has smooth light gray bark which is splotched with green patches. The flowers are one-half inch long, blue or white in color; they bloom in March and April. This tree may be found in the West Indies and from the Florida Keys to Venezuela.

3. Black Olive
Bucida buceras. -- Florida Challenger
This densely-crowned, large, evergreen tree has leathery leaves that are crowded at the ends of the branches. The flowers are greenish-yello and hang in slender spikes. The fruits are small black and one-seeded. The name Bucida, meaning crooked horn, refers to the fruits which cluster along the spikes. This tree, a slow grower, is believed to be one of the early species planted in this botanical garden. It is resistant to salt and wind and is widely used as an ornamental shade tree. It is found in hammocks in south Florida, the Florida Keys, West Indies and Central American where it may commonly reach a height of 45 feet. The height of this Challenger, when evaluated in 1995, was 56 feet.

4. Barringtonia
Barringtonia asiatica -- Florida Champion
From India and islands of the south Pacific, trees of this genus werw named for the English naturalist, Daines Barrington. They are planted in the tropics because of their striking flowers and foliage. The Barringtonia may reach a height of 50 feet. An attractive feature are the leaves, which are dark green and shiny, although in this garden they are sometimes covered with sooty mold. Leaves are 12 to 15 inches long. When in flower there are four or five-inch white blossoms which have white stamens tipped in pink. The box-like fruit pods range up to four inches in length and somewhat resemble a bishop's mitre.

5. Arjan Almond
Terminilis arjuna -- Florida Challenger
The large size and horizontally spreading branches of this handsome tree allow it to dominate the area between the Governor's Plum Circle and Poinciana Court. It is a native of central and southern India where the bark is used for tanning and dyeing. The smooth pinkish-gray bark peels off the trunk in thin flakes. The narrow, blunt, leathery leaves, sometimes used as food for the silkworm, grow in opposite pairs. The flowers are small and yellowish with an unpleasant odor. The ovoid brown fruits are about one inch long and have five narrow wings extending from base to tip. They may often be found on the ground under this tree.

6. Pongam
Pongamia pinnata. -- Florida Challenger
The smooth grayish-brown bark of this spreading tree is usually covered with small knobs or swellings. The short wide trunk supports a broad, shallow crown. The bright green shiny leaves are divided into five to seven leaflets each about three inches long. It is evergreen except for a quick leaf change in early spring. Pea-like clusters of pale pink or lilac colored flowers occur in springtime. The fruits are short, brown, woody pods containing one seed, which is poisonous to humans if eaten. This tree is native to tropical Asian and Australia. The specimen in this garden has been badly mistreated by vandals.

7. Wild Dilly
Manilkara bahamensis -- National Champion
This uncommon native tree is found primarily in the woodlands and beaches of the Florida Keys and the southernmost part of the Florida Peninsula. Unlike the champion in this garden, it often takes the form of the low dense shrub. The glaucous nature of the leathery leaves makes them appear to be whitish or to have a powdery coating. These leaves cluster near the end of the branch and often have a notch at the apex. The small yellow flowers occur in drooping clusters. Because there are two flowering periods, one in spring and one in autumn, fruits and flowers may occur simultaneously. The fruits--which tend to stay on the tree a long time--are hard and brown, have a milky sap, and spongy brownish flesh. They have one or more flat brownish-black seeds.

8. Locust-berry
Byrsonima lucida -- National Champion
Ordinarily occurring as a shrub, our specimen is a giant. Frequently seen from the West Indies to Trinidad, it reaches the northern limit of its distribution in South Florida, where it is found in Mainland and Keys pinelands and Keys hammocks. Locust-berry is listed as ENDANGERED. The usual pale smooth bark of this species is darkened by lichens on this tree. The dull dark green leaves are light green on the underside, thin and stiff. They are one-to-two inches long and may be rounded or pointed at the tip. The clustered white flowers turn yellow to pink or red. The fruit is fleshy with one hard stone, somewhat like a miniature peach. The fruit is red when it ripens in summer and it is attractive to wildlife.

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