When the Duke Mansion was built in 1919, James “Buck” Duke intentionally saved this Yellow Poplar near the entrance. In the decades since, the tree has survived hurricanes and wood decay. It’s our biggest existing Treasure Tree at 387 points.

Elmwood Cemetery in Fourth Ward is home to many of Charlotte’s most beautiful trees and ranks as the only public arboretum in the city. This Yellow Poplar, totaling 378 points, sits near the edge of the cemetery and is marked by a plaque.

The Willow Oak is the most common Oak species in Charlotte, and this one at a private home in Myers Park is a majestic one, totalling 345 points. The Oak fares well in many types of soils and has become a hallmark of the Queen City.

It’s believed this White Oak near Mountain Island Lake is more than 200 years old, according to the family, which has owned this former farm for generations. It was the only tree on the property not damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

The family planted this Chinese Chestnut in 1971, and it remains a centerpiece of the backyard, surrounded by bird feeders and gardens. The owner even has a diagram of the stages of the chestnuts to show guests.

When a Denny’s was constructed in 1995 on Sunset Road, the Oak’s Treasure Tree designation protected it during construction. The tree still sits on a preserved patch of land directly behind the Denny’s back parking lot.

This Willow Oak off of Sunset Road was both State and National Champion during its lifetime, earning the top spot on our list with a whopping 480 points. But after a big limb fell during a storm in the late '90s, the homeowner removed the tree.

Once a state champion, this Osage Orange was saved when the Buckleigh neighborhood was built in the early 2000s. But then on July 4, 2007, an errant firework struck the tree and it burned down. Only a charred stump remains.

This Deodar Cedar in Myers Park was planted in 1924 with the construction of the house onsite. It was named State Champion in the early 1990s. In 2011 the tree was cut down by the homeowner.