Book

Branching Out

The Public History of Trees

2025

University of Massachusetts Press

Associated Ideas, People, and Places

Angel Oak is a Southern live oak tree located in Angel Oak Park, on Johns Island, one of South Carolina’s Sea Islands. It is estimated to be over 400 years old, and stands 65 feet tall, measuring 9 feet in diameter. Shade from its crown covers an area of 17,000 square feet. Its longest limb is 89 feet in length. he oak derives its name from the Angel estate, although local folklore told of stories of ghosts of former slaves would appear as angels around the tree. (slworking2, Flickr)

The Trees at the Center of Our History

From the Pequot War to the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, trees tell a living story.

by Paul Rosenbeg via Barn Raiser on August 25, 2025

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