Angel Oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Angel Oak |
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Angel Oak, Johns Island, South Carolina
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| Species | Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) |
| Location | Johns Island, South Carolina, US |
| Coordinates | 32°43′02″N 80°04′50″W / 32.71709°N 80.08043°W |
The Angel Oak is a truly enormous Southern live oak tree. You can find it in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island, close to Charleston, South Carolina. This amazing tree is thought to be between 400 and 500 years old!
It stands about 66.5 feet (20 meters) tall. Its trunk is 28 feet (8.5 meters) around, which is huge! The shade it provides covers a massive area, about 17,200 square feet (1600 square meters). One of its longest branches stretches out 187 feet (57 meters). The Angel Oak was the 210th tree to be officially registered with the Live Oak Society.
How the Angel Oak Got Its Name
The Angel Oak got its special name from Justus Angel and his wife, Martha. They used to own the land where the tree stands. Some old local stories say that you might see angels around the tree.
Many people think the Angel Oak is the oldest tree east of the Mississippi River. However, this is not quite true. There are bald cypress trees in North and South Carolina that are much older. Some of these trees are over 1,600 years old!
The Tree's History
The Angel Oak faced a big challenge in 1989. A powerful storm called Hurricane Hugo caused a lot of damage to the tree. But the tree is very strong and has recovered well since then. The City of Charleston has owned the tree and the park around it since 1991.
Over the years, there have been plans to build new buildings near the Angel Oak. In 2012, some groups worried about how this might affect the tree. They were concerned about the water and nutrients the tree needs to grow. Luckily, in 2013, a group called the Lowcountry Land Trust helped. They bought 17 acres of land right next to the Angel Oak. This important step helped protect the area from new construction.
The Angel Oak tree has even appeared in books and on TV! It is a main part of the romance novel Where the Fireflies Dream by Emily Nelson. In September 2018, the Angel Oak was featured in an Allstate television ad. This ad celebrated the strength of the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence caused damage there.
See Also
- List of individual trees
