The Garden Club of Charleston will unveil a historic tree map of Charles Towne Landing during celebration of South Carolina Arbor Day at the park on Dec. 12. For details, visit gardenclubofsc.org.
At Charles Towne Landing, one of the earliest settlements in South Carolina’s history, stands a live oak tree that is nearly 800 years old. Preserving and recording the existence of such natural history is the focus of Historic Trees for Historic Places, an ongoing project of the Garden Club of South Carolina.
More than 300 garden clubs in South Carolina are working to identify noteworthy trees and historic landscapes statewide so that they can be documented, preserved and, where needed, restored, according to Jane Pearman, president of the Garden Club of Charleston and chair of the HTHP project. Some of these trees stand strong after centuries; others have been damaged or destroyed over time, and the state’s garden clubs plan to replace and mark the sites of many of the lost or damaged trees.
The Garden Club of Charleston is focusing on a partnership with Charles Towne Landing, where it will map historic trees and replaced plantings, so that visitors to the park can follow a living history trail with a brochure that charts the location, variety, age and description of each tree, Pearman says. The map will be unveiled at the club’s celebration of South Carolina Arbor Day at the park on Dec. 12.
Anyone in the state may submit an historic tree for inclusion in the HTHP project.
“It’s not just live oaks, it’s a variety of trees—pecans, magnolias, pine trees—and it can be stands of trees or allees,” Pearman says.
To suggest a tree for identification or planting, complete the submission form on the Garden Club of South Carolina website.