MOUNT MORRIS, Ill. (WIFR) -- The Byron Forest Preserve District's new Bald Hill Prairie Preserve is now the home of the biggest tree of any species in the state of Illinois.

"We are celebrating the fact that we have the largest tree in the state of Illinois, the wonderful Eastern Cottonwood," said Mark Herman, the Superintendent of Education for the Byron Forest Preserve District.

After the Byron Forest Preserve District purchased a 160-acre piece of land from a local farmer, it made an enormous discovery.

"It was brushed in pretty good, so it took a little while to get to it and the closer we got to it we were like, man, that's a really big tree. So, after taking a few measurements and going online and looking at the Big Tree Registry, we realized that we had potentially the largest tree in the state," said Todd Tucker, the Executive Director for the Byron Forest Preserve District.

And they were right, at 28.5 feet in circumference, more than nine feet in diameter and 122 feet tall, the Eastern Cottonwood tree is Illinois’ Big Tree Champion.

"The previous Big Tree Champion was at the southern tip of southern Illinois and so this will give people from the region something to come out and show people. It's the biggest tree of any species in the whole state and probably about 200 years old," said Herman.

Since the tree grows at the bottom of a hill, it is more protected from lightning strikes and strong winds. Although the tree's not the only interesting aspect of the Bald Hill Prairie Preserve.

"We found the short-eared owl out here, which is a state endangered owl. We have a state endangered plant species too, the woolly milkweed. There's a 185-foot elevation difference on this 160-acre piece of land so that's a lot of elevation in the state of Illinois through here. A lot of times nature doesn't get a lot of buzz and the tree has brought a lot of awareness to what we do at the Forest Preserve and just getting people outside,” said Tucker.

"It’s a beautiful, unique type of preserve that most places don't get to see," said Herman.

A grand opening and Arbor Day celebration will be Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bald Hill Prairie Preserve, which is located in Rockvale Township at 5502 North Silver Creek Road, Mt. Morris. Visitors can take hiking tours and wagon rides to see the tree and look off the bluffs.