Cottonwood in Nebraska named National Champion Tree

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A tree in Nebraska is reaching new heights.

An eastern cottonwood in north-central Nebraska is now a National Champion Tree, the Nebraska Forest Service said Monday.

It is the largest of its kind in the U.S., with a height of 85 feet and a circumference of 37.2 feet.

The tree is at Pibel Lake Recreation Area, which is about 60 miles north of Grand Island.

The forest service called it a “true Nebraska treasure.”