Lady Liberty (tree) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lady Liberty |
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Lady Liberty in 2007.
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 Lady Liberty
Location in Florida
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| Species | Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) |
| Coordinates | 28°43′11.2″N 81°19′52.65″W / 28.719778°N 81.3312917°W |
Lady Liberty is a very old and famous tree in Longwood, Florida. It is a type of tree called a Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). This amazing tree lives in Big Tree Park.
Lady Liberty is more than 2,000 years old! It stands about 40 feet (12 meters) from where another giant tree, called The Senator, used to be. The Senator was even older, about 3,500 years old, but it sadly burned down in 2012. After The Senator was lost, Lady Liberty became the most important tree in the park. People now work hard to keep it safe.
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How Big Is Lady Liberty?
In 2015, experts measured Lady Liberty. The tree stands 82 feet (about 25 meters) tall. That's as tall as an eight-story building!
Its trunk is very wide, measuring 394 inches (about 10 meters) around. The branches spread out about 34 feet (10 meters) wide. Even though it's huge, Lady Liberty isn't the biggest of its kind in Florida. But it is still one of the largest bald cypress trees around!
How Old Is Lady Liberty?
Scientists don't have exact records to know Lady Liberty's age down to the year. However, based on its massive size, many tree experts believe it is at least 2,000 years old. That means this tree was alive when ancient civilizations were thriving!
How Did Lady Liberty Get Its Name?
For many years, this large tree was simply called "The Companion" because it stood next to The Senator. But in 2005, a school in Geneva, Florida, held a contest. Fifth-grade students were asked to come up with a better name for the tree.
Two students suggested "Lady Liberty," and they won the contest! They thought one of the tree's branches looked like the raised arm of the Statue of Liberty.
Keeping Lady Liberty Safe
People could not easily see Lady Liberty until 2005. That's when the park built a special walkway, called a boardwalk, so visitors could get closer. They also put a fence around the tree to protect it.
After The Senator tree was destroyed by fire, Lady Liberty became the main attraction at Big Tree Park. Seminole County worked even harder to keep the park popular and to protect this last giant tree. The park was closed for several months after the fire. During that time, new, stronger fences were put around both Lady Liberty and the spot where The Senator used to stand.
In 2015, a group of tree experts asked the county if they could take small pieces, called cuttings, from Lady Liberty. They hoped to grow new trees that would be exact copies, or clones, of Lady Liberty. This would help preserve its special genes for the future.
