The Tree of Life, also known as the Étienne de Boré Oak, is a large, historic southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) in Audubon Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. Adjacent to Audubon Zoo's giraffe exhibit, the old and popular park landmark was planted around 1740.[3]
| Tree of Life | |
|---|---|
  Tree of Life  Tree of Life Tree of Life (Louisiana)  Tree of Life Tree of Life (the United States) | |
| Species | Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) |
| Coordinates | 29°55′16″N 90°07′45″W / 29.9210°N 90.1293°W |
| Height | 60 ft (18 m)[1] |
| Girth | 35 ft (11 m)[2] |
| Date seeded | ~1740 |
The tree is commonly hugged and climbed.[4][5] Its crown is draped with Spanish moss. The tree's size and age led it to become one of the 43 inaugural members of the Live Oak Society.[2][3][6]
History
editThe tree is said to have been planted by Étienne de Boré, the first Mayor of New Orleans, in 1771, as a wedding gift to his wife.[7] However, this is just a rumor, as a sign adjacent to the tree says that it was planted around 1740.[2]
References
edit- ^ Tucei, Larry (May 21, 2007). "Measurement of Southern Live Oak 'Tree of life' in Audubon Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States by Larry Tucei in 2007". Monumental Trees. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c Sekhniashvili, Ellen (March 31, 2020). "Footprints: The tree of life". ViaNolaVie. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Guion, William (July 8, 2010). "Etienne de Boré Oak (Tree of Life)". 100 Oaks Project. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ Lopez, Kenny (April 22, 2015). "Tree hugging & climbing at the magnificent 'tree of life' in Audubon Park". WGNO. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "Ponder the Mysteries of the Universe at the Tree of Life". Unusual Places. November 3, 2023. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Old and Magnificent: 10 Top Live Oaks in Louisiana". New Orleans Magazine. March 1, 2011. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "Tree of Life". Audubon Zoo. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
External links
edit- I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing, a poem by Walt Whitman about the tree that was included in his collection Leaves of Grass (on Wikisource)