Landmark southern Arizona cottonwood tree topples
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TUCSON, Ariz. — One of the nation's biggest cottonwood trees that had been standing in southern Arizona for at least 150 years has toppled over.
The Arizona Daily Star says the so-called Big Tree recently broke in half on the Circle Z Guest Ranch about two miles west of Patagonia.
Standing 75 yards south of Sonoita Creek and a couple hundred yards north of Arizona 82, the tree was a landmark for decades.
Off and on since 1970, the tree ranked No. 1 among all cottonwoods on the National Register of Big Trees that's run by the conservation group American Forests.
It was 92 feet high and 42 feet around and had a crown spread of 108 feet on top.
Experts say it was Arizona's largest known tree of any size.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
