The Angel Oak

Estimated to be 400-500 years old, this Southern live oak has survived a number of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. It was damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but recovered and continues to grow.

Southern live oaks are native to the lowland country of the coastal Carolinas. They tend to grow more outward than upward but, due to its age, the Angel Oak has done both. Its branches reach in all directions, with some driving underground and then growing back up above the surface.

Its name comes from the Angel Estate, owned by couple Justus Angel and Martha Waight Angel. However, local legends say the ghosts of former slaves appear as angels around the tree.

The tree is now the property of the City of Charleston. Recently, a plan for apartment development near the Angel Oak has been scrutinized and fought against by the S.C. Coastal Conservation League. They argue that the development would alter the groundwater flow to the tree and clear the nearby forests whose root systems are intimately related with the Angel Oak.

The Angel Oak is featured in the novel The Heart of a Child by Emily Nelson. The area also hosts a number of artistic and social events throughout the spring and summer seasons.

There are no shuttles to the tree park, but there is a very large parking space and the tree is free to view and enjoy!

Content originally created for Atlas Obscura.