The Senator (tree)
The Senator was the oldest pond cypress tree in the world, located in Big Tree Park, Longwood, Florida. At the time of its demise, it was 125 feet (38 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of 17.5 feet (5.3 m). The tree fell due to a fire on January 16, 2012.[1]
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[edit] History
The Seminole Indians and other Native American Indians who lived throughout Central Florida used this tree as a landmark. In the late 19th century, the tree attracted visitors even though much of the surrounding land was swamp; reaching the tree was done by leaping from log to log. A walkway was later constructed by the Works Progress Administration. In 1925, a hurricane destroyed the top of the tree, reducing its original height of 165 feet (50 m) to a height of 118 feet (36 m). The Senator was named for Florida State Senator Moses Overstreet, who donated the tree and surrounding land to Seminole County for a park in 1927. In 1929, former president Calvin Coolidge visited The Senator and dedicated the site with a commemorative bronze plaque. The plaque and portions of an iron fence were stolen by vandals in 1945 and never recovered.[2]
[edit] Fire and collapse
On January 16, 2012, a fire was reported at the top of the Senator tree, which burned from the inside out, "like a chimney."[3] Firefighters arrived to try to extinguish the blaze, but the tree collapsed. The cause of the blaze was initially believed to be arson, but was later found to have ignited high up in the interior of the hollow tree. An old, smoldering lightning strike or friction were speculated causes.[4] The charred remains of the tree now stand only 20 to 25 feet (6.1 to 7.6 m) tall.[3]
[edit] Statistics
As of 1993, The Senator was estimated to be 3,400-3,600 years old, the 5th oldest tree in the world.[2] The tree's volume had previously been estimated at 4,300 cubic feet (120 m3), but a 2006 survey by Will Blozan of the Native Tree Society has measured the volume at well over 5,100 cubic feet (140 m3), making The Senator not only the largest Pond Cypress in the United States, but also the largest tree of any species east of the Mississippi River.[5]
[edit] Neighbor
Located 40 feet (12 m) from where The Senator stood is another old cypress in the same Big Tree Park named Lady Liberty. It is 89 feet (27 m) high 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter, and is estimated to be 2000 years old; another one of the oldest trees in the world.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Fire destroys 3,500-year-old cypress tree 'The Senator' in Florida". Daily Mail Online. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087394/Fire-destroys-3-500-year-old-cypress-tree-The-Senator-Florida.html. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
- ^ a b c "The Senator - Florida's Big Tree". Floridata. http://www.floridata.com/tracks/thesenator/thesenator.cfm. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- ^ a b Pavuk, Amy (2012-01-16). "Investigator: Fire that destroyed 'The Senator' was not arson". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/os-senator-cypress-tree-fire-20120116,0,6171920.story. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- ^ "Arson Ruled out in 'The Senator' fire". WESH. 2012-01-16. http://www.wesh.com/r/30221278/detail.html. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
- ^ "The Senator Cypress is re-elected to top position in Eastern Forests". Eastern Native Tree Society. 2006-05-08. http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/florida/senator/senator_cypress.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Senator (tree) |
- Big Tree Park in Longwood, FL
- The Senator - Florida's Big Tree
- Study Conducted by The Native Tree Society
Coordinates: 28°43′11.2″N 81°19′52.65″W / 28.719778°N 81.3312917°W
