Sunday, February 1, 2015

Angel Tree

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. 
--Michelangelo (1475-1564) Italian sculptor, painter, architect and engineer.

[click photo to enlarge]. The oft photographed 'Angel Tree' is a live oak located on John's Island outside of Charleston, SC. I happened to visit on New Year's Day and the gate was closed, so I took a series of photos through the fence and stitched them together in Photoshop. What you see here is really just a portion of one side of the tree - this thing is massive. What stands out to visitors is not necessarily its height (it stands 67 feet tall), but its trunk which measures 28 feet in circumference. Most astounding of all, however, are the branches that stretch out so incredibly far from the trunk. Its longest branch is 89 feet long and its widest diameter (tip to tip) is 187 feet. In all, the tree's canopy covers an amazing 17,200 square feet. Estimates of the tree's age vary greatly, from 400 to 1,400 years old. If it were 1,400 years old, it would be among the oldest living things east of the Mississippi.

See more photos here.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for visiting and joining in the discussion on Appalachian Treks! Your comment will be sent to me to be approved. Sorry for this added step, but it is necessary to avoid spam. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!