As you know, I really like trees … oh, and Miss Poppy does too!

We like them for different reasons. Miss Poppy equates trees with squirrels, her number one mission in life is to eliminate the world of them; and me, well, I just like them, they absorb CO2, they provide shade, they are beautiful.

In taking a ride out across the border into Georgia, we checked out Thomasville, an area that possibly might be of interest to us.

Thomasville is famous for its “Big Oak” … a tree that is a 338-year old live oak that has a spread of 169 feet, a height of 72 feet and trunk circumference of some 30 feet!

Various measures have been put in place to preserve this magnificent tree. An underground watering system and an above-ground sprinkler system have been installed; support cables are intertwined about the tree in order to provide strength to the limbs, some of which are only feet above the ground; and, an “on call” tree surgeon is available 24/7 should the need arise.

In 2005, the tree produced acorns for the first time in decades. The acorns were collected by relatives of the family who originally lived in the house where the tree is located. The acorns were cared for during their germination process and until they became seedlings. One such seedling has been planted in a nearby plantation and is known as The Baby Big Oak! Cute!

The Big Oak dates back to around 1680 making it one of the older live oaks in the US.