30 September 2008

Fairchild Oak






This weekend I met up with my good friend Hewy and her dog Darwin for some camping and hiking. We had a wonderful time exploring some of central Florida's oak hammocks. We hit up three state parks over the course of three days. Our big hike was at Bulow Creek State Park. At the trailhead is this lovely Live Oak which they call the Fairchild Oak. Supposedly this tree is one of the oldest Live Oaks in the south. Being over 400 years old, it has withstood the Bulow plantation construction and subsequent Seminole raids. This tree stands 68 feet tall with branches reaching out 300 feet from the tree. It's named for the illustrious David Fairchild, an early 20th century American botanist. If you're ever in the Daytona area of Florida I would recommend a short drive over for a picnic by the large oak.

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