Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) estimated to be 400-500 years old, standing 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2)

How to Get There

Get on US-17 S from Broad St and Lockwood Dr. Merge onto US-17 S. Take State Hwy 171 to SC-700 W. Follow SC-700 W to Angel Oak Rd. Turn left onto Angel Oak Rd. Destination will be on the left Bluff Rd to National Park Rd in Hopkins 27 min (17.7 mi). Turn right onto National Park Rd

Overview

Angel Oak is a Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The tree is estimated to be 400-500 years old. It stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2). Its longest branch distance is 187 ft in length. Angel Oak was the 210th tree to be registered with the Live Oak Society.

Background

The oak derives its name from the estate of Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel. Local folklore tells stories of ghosts of former enslaved people appearing as angels around the tree.

Despite the claims that the Angel Oak is the oldest tree east of the Mississippi River, bald cypress trees throughout North and South Carolina are significantly older. One example in North Carolina is over 1,600 years old.

Angel Oak was damaged severely during Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but has since recovered. The City of Charleston has owned the tree and surrounding park since 1991.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Angel Oak", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0