OZAWKIE ? A cottonwood tree that for years had been admired as the largest in the state has taken a beating lately from Mother Nature.

The tree in Cottonwood Tree Park near Ozawkie had been recognized as the largest eastern cottonwood specimen in the state from 1980 until 2002.

But a Sheridan County tree’s growth, and storm damage to the tree here in Jefferson County have brought hard times for a beloved cottonwood.

A recent windstorm knocked down a 40-foot section of one of the tree’s three trunk stems. That followed another storm a year ago that felled the tree’s tallest trunk section – a loss of around 14 feet in height.

“It really could be viewed as the kiss of death that cost the tree its standing, both literally and figuratively,” said Kansas State University district forester Jim Strine, who for more than 25 years has been keeper of the Champion Trees of Kansas list, which identifies the largest of more than 100 specimens in the state.

Strine said Champion trees were determined by a combination of three measurements: the circumference of the tree’s trunk at the base, height from the base of the trunk to the highest branch, and crown spread – the distance from the tips of branches on one side of the tree to the tips of branches on the other.

Strine had not yet inspected the latest damage to the tree. But based on his examination of it last year and news of further damage he said it may be nearing the end of its life.

“The parts of the tree’s trunk that were exposed by the loss of that major limb last summer didn’t look real good,” Strine said. “There’s lots of soft spots and decay.”

Despite that, the tree remains a source of pride at Cottonwood Tree Park, where a sign designating its former “champion” status as the biggest of its kind in Kansas, remains on display.