The Bizarre Story Of The Georgia Tree That Owns Itself
By Lisa Sammons|Published May 01, 2023
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Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
There are a lot of strange places to visit in Georgia – it’s so much fun to visit places that are off the beaten path. If you can throw in a little history or culture lesson, it’s all the better! One Peach State destination that’s most definitely quite unusual is the Tree That Owns Itself in Athens, GA – or, if you want to be a little more accurate, it’s the Son of the Tree That Owns Itself. Plants aren’t typically known for being property owners, but this special white oak tree has legal rights to both itself and the land within an eight-acre radius. Read on to learn more about this fascinating bit of Georgia history:
The Tree that Owns Itself is a local landmark at the corners of South Finley and Dearing Streets in downtown Athens, GA. It's in a residential neighborhood surrounded by homes.
One of the tree's acorns was planted in the exact same location, so if you want to get technical, this current tree is the Son of the Tree That Owns Itself.
This current tree was dedicated in 1946 and was planted by students from the University of Georgia Department of Agriculture. The ceremony was presided over by the Athens mayor and a pastor from a local church prayed over the tree.
According to legend, the tree was planted on Colonel William Henry Jackson's property and he deeded the tree to itself along with the surrounding land.
The physical deed has been lost to time, and it's unclear if the story ever even happened or if it's just a long-standing urban legend.
In any event, the tree's legal rights would likely not hold up in court. Under common law, someone who is deeded property must have the legal capacity to receive it and then accept it - the tree cannot do this, since it's not a legal person.
Even so, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government recognizes the tree as owning itself, and it is maintained by the city and local residents as a public street tree.
Whether the tree actually owns itself or not is a moot point, as it's become something of a symbol of the quirky personality of Athens, GA. It's one of the town's best-known landmarks.
