Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to

A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

Big & Tall The North Carolina Champion Big Tree Program, part of the NC Forest Service, keeps a database of champion trees organized by species and county. The tallest champion

Food

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

Big & Tall The North Carolina Champion Big Tree Program, part of the NC Forest Service, keeps a database of champion trees organized by species and county. The tallest champion

Quiz

Our State Quiz: Big & Tall

With branches that reach high above the forest floor and trunks too wide to wrap your arms around, these trees are our champions.

by Alan Hodge

</p> <section> <h2>Big & Tall</h2> </section> <section> <h2>The North Carolina Champion Big Tree Program, part of the NC Forest Service, keeps a database of champion trees organized by species and county. The tallest champion tree in North Carolina is what type of pine, standing 180 feet tall in Jackson County?</h2> </section> <section> <h3>There are currently nearly 400 champion trees registered by the NC Forest Service. What western county has more of these trees — around 60 — than anywhere else in the state?</h3> </section> <section> <h3>Our top champion tree in terms of canopy size has branches that spread 126 feet. This majestic specimen is a willow oak located in what Sampson County town?</h3> </section> <section> <h3>Bertie County has a yellow poplar near Powellsville that stands 146 feet tall with a circumference of 260 inches. The yellow poplar also goes by what name?</h3> </section> <section> <h3>Trunk circumference is generally measured in inches at a point about 4.5 feet above the ground. The champion tree with the largest circumference in our state is a 468-inch bald cypress on Conoho Creek, near Williamston, in what county?</h3> </section> <section> <h3>North Carolina no longer accepts new non-native species on the champion tree list, but some have been grandfathered in, including an ailanthus, also known as a “tree of heaven.” This 92-foot-tall specimen is located in Hillsborough in what county?</h3> </section> <section> <h3>The God’s Acre cemetery in Winston-Salem is the site of a champion ginkgo biloba tree. The ginkgo is native to China, but this particular example is located in what historic district?</h3> </section> <section> <h3>Fraser firs form the backbone of our state’s Christmas tree industry. A 100-foot-tall fir can be found on the grounds of High Hampton Resort in what Jackson County town?</h3> </section> <section> <h3>The common persimmon produces what is often called the “fruit of the gods.” Our state’s champion with the greatest circumference is near the town of South Mills, in what state park?</h3> </section> <section></section> <section></section> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>

Editors’ Picks

Photo Essay

The Beach Road: A Stop-by-Stop Guide to Exploring NC Highway 12

From its northernmost point in Corolla to its southern terminus on Cedar Island, this scenic byway — bound between sound and sea — links the islands and communities of the Outer Banks.

by Katie King

Video

NC Icons: Our State Magazine

Us? An icon? Well, after 90 years and more than 2,000 issues celebrating North Carolina from mountains to coast, we hope you’ll agree that we’ve earned the title.

by Our State Staff

History

39 Legendary North Carolina Seafood Restaurants

After nearly a century — or just a couple of years — these seafood restaurants have become coastal icons, the places we know, love, and return to again and again.

by Abigail Keller

Travel

A Fish House Tradition in Swansboro

One of the last old-school fish houses in Onslow County stands sentry on the White Oak River. Clyde Phillips Seafood Market has served up seafood and stories since 1954 — an icon of the coast, persevering in pink.

by Karen Langley Martin

Get our most popular weekly newsletter: This is NC

Editors’ Picks