The Birthing Tree
I was fortunate to visit this enormous tree god this week. My friend Tim and I were running an errand in McMinnville when we stopped to visit it. WOW! That's all I could say when I saw this thing. It sure is a jaw dropper if you are just passing by.
The lower limbs are so long and big that they rest on the ground.
The lower limbs are so big that they use these stay wires to prop them up so they don't break from their enormous weight. The wires are attached to the upper branches near the trunk to keep the lower limbs balanced. The wire in this branch has been here so long that the tree branch has consumed it HA HA. This is what trees do after many many years of obstruction. They adapt by growing into or around consuming whatever might be obstructing them. Got to love nature!
The text on the left of the historic marker reads:
The City of McMinnville appreciates the donation of this tree to be protected for the future. We strive to protect our natural resources and history. This area of Tennessee is well known for its diversity of trees and now our big tree as well.
We would like to thank the people responsible for this generous gift: Jewell Hale, Freddy Hoover, Bobby Kirby, Dr. Oscar Spivey, and Dr. R.P. Sabo.
To Protect this tree for future generations... Please follow the rules.
- Do not climb on the limbs - they can break and we don't want the tree or anyone injured.
- Do not carve on the tree or cut any stems or roots off.
- Do not drive near the tree - it compacts the soil and damages the root system.
- Do not plant or place anything in this area
Call the City of McMinnville at 474-8733 with any questions or for more information.
The text on the right of the historic marker reads:
THE BIRTHING TREE
Standing as a silent sentinel to the town, this enormous White Oak (Quercus Alba) welcomes travelers into the City of McMinnville. This tree is 85 feet tall, and has a crown spread of 125 feet, and a possible age of over 250 years old. It has several lower limbs larger than many trees. However it is not the size that gives this White Oak notariety; The Birthing Tree is steeped in local folklore.
The tree was a local landmark for settlers passing through the area. Travelers from North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia would travel through Knoxville on the old Kentucky trail. These trails converged at Rock island (the closest city at the time) and then passed under the spreading branches of this giant tree before heading south to Alabama. The huge oak was well known meeting place for these weary travelers. Some waited for long periods of time for fellow settlers, bad weather, or lack of supplies.
Entered on the Tennessee Landmark & Historic Tree Register in 2000 as a LANDMARK TREE.
They claim that this tree is over 250 years old. However I believe this tree has to be around 500 years old if not older. It wouldn't surprise me if it was. I wonder how many battles and wounded men this tree has seen during the Civil War? If this tree could talk what would it say?
So if you are a big nature buff like I am and find yourself traveling through the heart of the Volunteer State, pay a visit to McMinnville and give the great Birthing Tree a great big hug.
As always I'm Theo aka Rainbow Man and here is the...
PROOF!!!
PROOF I broke the rules HA HA.
Thanks for looking and,
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Of course... YOU BROKE THE RULES. (some things never change)
I bought our property in North Florida because of a tree... You could walk up the limbs from the ground. Using the charts for Live Oaks. Ours was nearly 20 feet girth. So it was in the 120 year age range.
And that fickle bitch mother nature took it from me...
It took a long ass time to clean up the mess... 2+yrs.
Florida's oldest standing live oak is The Cellon Tree. About 30-40 minute drive southeast of where mine was... See it at this link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/floridahikes/sets/72157624428892773
HOLY SHIT! The only other tree I've seen as cool as this was the Octopus Tree on the Oregon coast. These trees got to be several hundred years old. If the Redwoods are 2000 years old trees I don't see why we can't have Oak trees that live longer than we think.