A Bit Of An Unexpected Natural Wonder, Few People Know There Is A Record-Breaking Tree Hiding On A College Campus In South Carolina
By AnneMarie|Published May 09, 2023
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AnneMarie
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South Carolina has been home for AnneMarie since 2001. Her favorite part of the state is Lake Jocassee. An App State alumna, it's always the mountains; the lake bonus makes it heavenly. When not writing about the state, she may be spending time with family, relaxing by the pool, or out somewhere enjoying nature.
Clemson University was founded in 1889 and was named after Thomas Green Clemson, a Philadelphia-born, European-educated engineer, musician, and artist who married John C. Calhoun’s daughter, Anna Maria, and eventually settled at her family plantation in South Carolina. He sought to establish an agricultural college that provided students with a well-rounded education, as expressed in his will, dated five years before he died in 1888. It’s believed that the tree now known as the Centennial Oak was one of those planted on Mr. Clemson’s property around the time of the university’s founding. Today, it’s one of the largest trees in the state, an incredible natural wonder in South Carolina.
The exact age of the Centennial Oak is unknown but was determined by foresters who conducted age studies to be about 100 years old around the time of Clemson University's 100th anniversary in 1989. It has been an important and special part of college life as a common meeting place for tailgating and for students throughout the years.
Called the Angel Oak of the Upstate, the Centennial Oak measures 67 feet tall, while the Angel Oak is 65 feet tall. The branch-spread of each tree varies, with the Centennial Oak measuring at 104 feet and the Angel Oak's at 187.
The bur oak is not native to South Carolina and only lives for 150 to 300 years, unlike the Angel Oak which is well over 1,000 years old. It has been a natural draw for children, who can easily climb its low-lying branches, and has been quite sentimental for alumni, serving as a fond memory for those who remember particular events involving the tree.
Acorns have not been seen much recently, but when the tree was producing acorns they were at times as large as 2 inches! Its scientific name, quercus macrocarpa, actually translates to an oak tree whose acorns are extremely large.
Of course, the look of the tree changes with the seasons, and it's probably the most photographed tree on the Clemson University campus, often serving as a beautiful backdrop.
Before being named the Centennial Oak at the University's 100-year anniversary, the tree had a relatively quiet existence. Now it even has its own page on a global positioning system tracking site called Waymarking, which marks unique locations on the planet and gives them a voice. The tree has also received several mentions in a book that was produced by four Clemson professors, The Nature of Clemson: A Field Guide to the Natural History of Clemson University.
There are no signs of deterioration, such as dying limbs, and there's a healthy crop of resurrection fern living on the tree. It really is a beautiful natural wonder that hopefully will live another 100 years for many more students to enjoy!
Have you ever seen the Centennial Oak or any of the other largest trees in the state? What is your favorite natural wonder in South Carolin? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.
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