Over 150 years old: Largest dogwood on earth grows in small NC cemetery
You might drive right past and never realize – flowering in the center of a small cemetery, hidden down the rural roads of North Carolina – is the largest dogwood tree in America, and possibly even the world.
The antique Champion Tree has watched history pass for more than 150 years.
Once upon a time, its branches were longer and more sturdy. Photos from years past show the flowers blooming thick as a cotton ball. Today, some of the branches are beginning to break, and the flowers don't bloom as fully as they once did. Still, the old tree stands a proud 31 feet tall, with a blooming branch spread of 48 feet and a trunk 114 inches around.
It goes by many names: The Clinton dogwood, the Sampson County dogwood, the Matthis Family dogwood.
While the tree has drawn national attention, its origins are still a mystery.
Mysterious origins of the Sampson County dogwood
There are still many questions surrounding the history of this antique dogwood in Sampson County.
How has the tree lived double the life span of an average dogwood tree, which typically live only around 80 years?
Who planted this tree among the Matthis Family Cemetery? Did a family member add a dogwood sapling to the land, knowing loved ones would soon be buried here? Or was the tree already growing when they began using the land as a cemetery?
The true age of the famous dogwood is not known; however, a plaque at its base shows it's believed to have been fully mature by 1864 – a date that just happens to match some of the oldest graves in the graveyard.
Louise E. Matthis was born in 1863, then died just a year later in 1864. Jessie Matthis also died in 1864, just 3 years old.
Did grieving parents find the shade of this lovely dogwood a perfect spot to bury their young children?
Not much is known about the history of the Matthis family, but their tree has certainly thrived as the guardian of their burial grounds.
The Clinton dogwood is dying, but a new sapling has grown right next to it
Sadly, the antique tree appears to be slowly dying after more than 150 years of life.
However, new life is growing right next to the historic Clinton dogwood. The sapling, young and healthy, seems to have spawned from the Champion Tree.
Will the new descendant tree see as much history as her ancestor? Will she watch the next 150 years of changes in North Carolina?
You can see both dogwood trees located at 2794 Turkey Hwy, Clinton, NC, just 2 miles east of Clinton in the Matthis Family Cemetery.
Other historic and unique trees in North Carolina
Tucked away just a short hike from the Blue Ridge Parkway and a nearby waterfall is a magical 'Dragon Tree' in the forests of Appalachia.
Closer to the Triangle, two giant Redwood trees are hidden not far from Downtown Raleigh.
And an entire Redwood grove is hidden in Downtown Cary.
The historic Henry Clay Oak has secret saplings hidden around the Triangle.
And an old-growth Champion Tree from the 1700s once provided shelter for people escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad.
You could take a road trip to visit these antique and unique trees around the state of North Carolina.
