SCIWAY thanks photographer Paul Gowder of Lexington for submitting this picture he took in June 2010.

See more pictures of renowned South Carolina Trees.

Photographer Adam Morris took this photo. His parents now own the Bailey House, which was built in 1799 – a prosperous year for planters on lowcountry sea islands. Soil and climate produced cotton that could be spun into the finest thread available at the time. Sea Island cotton was sought after throughout the world and commanded premium prices.

The house remained in the Bailey family for many generations, but Adam’s father says it was this grand and sprawling tree that convinced him to buy the property when he had the opportunity in 1984. Adam and his wife held their wedding reception under the oak’s canopy in 2003.

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Live oak trees are called “live” because they remain green during winter months. They can be found mostly in North America, up and down the East Coast from Maryland to Florida. They can also be found in certain parts of California and Oregon, as well as along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. They can even grow in the warmer regions of Asia and Europe.

Martin LaBar took this photo in the summer of 2006. He says that the tree seems to be quite healthy which is great news!

Check out Mosley Hardy’s neat interactive gigapan of the Medusa Tree!

View more pictures of other renowned South Carolina Trees.

At 66-feet tall, with branches that reach 124 feet, this record-setting bur oak was just a seedling when Clemson was founded 120 years ago. Based on age studies conducted by foresters, the tree was designated the Centennial Oak when the university celebrated its 100th birthday in 1989. Bur oaks normally live 150-300 years.

The Centennial Oak is also one of South Carolina’s “Champion Trees,” a designation that means it’s the largest of its species in the state. Champion trees are determined by precise measurements of a tree’s trunk circumference, height, and average crown spread.

South Carolina also has 14 National Champion Trees including the largest loblolly pine and the largest swamp tupelo in the country, both located in Congaree National Park in Richland County. The National Champion rosebay rhododendron is in Sumter National Forest in Oconee County, and the country’s largest winged elm is at the Savannah River Site near Aiken.

Learn more about other renowned South Carolina Trees.

The tree got its name because it was said that when George Washington visited Hampton, Eliza Pinckney Horry asked him if she should have the tree removed because it blocked the front view from the house. Washington told her she should leave the tree. And so, because of what was probably a most casual conversation, the tree remains today.

It has grown to be a beautiful, massive oak but, Eliza was right, it does block the front view from the house.

Rusty Williamson of North Charleston captured the picture above of the mystery tree in August 2008. He writes, “This picture shows the summer theme which includes an American flag, buckets for playing in the sand, and a beach chair.”

If you continue further down the road towards the beach, you will come across another mysterious tree. On your right stands a large old oak with a unique swing hanging from its boughs. The swing is made from a stack of old mattresses. As one mattress disintegrates, a new one is added on top of it.

SCIWAY thanks Pam Oerman of North Augusta for submitting this picture she took in July 2009.

View more pictures of special South Carolina trees.

She writes: “While driving down the main street of Beaufort, I saw this fabulous live oak with the Spanish moss hanging so beautifully. This is so ‘Old South’ to me and it brings back some of my fantasies of being a little girl playing under this fabulous tree.”