Today we visited the Angel Oak Tree on John's Island, SC.
The Angel Oak Tree is a Southern live oak located in Angel Oak Park, on
Johns Island near Charleston. The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be in
excess of 1500 years old, stands 66.5 ft tall, measures 28 ft in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square
feet. From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft. There is no way these facts can do this ancient giant justice. Only when I was standing beneath its gnarled arms did I appreciate just how magnificent and special this tree is.
The Angel Oak Tree is thought to be one of the oldest living things in
the country. Standing below it one gains a sense of how god must view time. The land where the Angel Oak Tree stands was part of
Abraham Waight's 1717 land grant. The Angel Oak's name can be traced back to the original owners Martha and Justis Angel. The tree and surrounding park have been owned by the city of Charleston since 1991. The Angel Oak is located at 3866 Angel Oak Road on Johns Island, SC
Development is beginning to encroach on the site of the Angel Oak. In
2012, plans to build a 500-unit apartment complex that would be as close
as 160 yards (150 m) to the Angel Oak. While the Oak is not in danger of being cut down, arborists caution that the surrounding forest protects itst giant root system, shelters it from storms, affords if moisture and drainage, and filters out harmful pollutants before they reach the trees roots. The proposed development will be challenged in court by the Coastal Conservation League, based upon concerns about the construction's effect on available groundwater and nutrients .
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