Live OAK Trees

Oak Alley Plantation

 Sunday night we slept in a nice little house on the grounds of the Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana. This plantation is famous for its grand alley of 28 oak trees, which, according to the brochure, are at least one hundred years older than the photogenic house that graces the end of the alley. I think they are much older than that. There is an oak tree in Tallahassee, Florida with a grand age of 600 to 800 years old and it’s as big as some of the trees on the Oak Alley Plantation. I must concede that weather and climate do contribute to the size of each ring/year of the tree’s life so that may make the difference.

My dad and me

My Mother and me

The "Lichgate" Tree in Tallahassee, FL

My parents were married under the Tallahassee tree which is now protected by the Lichgate Foundation. The owner of the property when my parents were married was Dr. Laura Jepsen. Dr. Jepsen   just happened to be one of my mother’s teachers at Florida State University at the time. My mother, being the woman she is, asked permission to marry under that tree. Her story is told in a small book that Dr. Jepsen wrote about all the happenings that occurred while she was resident owner of the tree and its environs. She herself is famous for, in the 1970’s, being the first woman professor to sue Florida State University for equal pay, and she won! “It was Miss Jepsen’s “hope and desire,” as stated in her will – that the enchanted Lichgate property be preserved for future generations to enjoy. The property was almost sold for commercial development; but in the 11th hour a small group of people, many of them former students of Miss Jepsen’s, came together, formed a non-profit organization, and took out a bank loan to preserve the property.” Now it helps to support itself by being rented for weddings, family reunions, etc. School children also tour, plant and tend small gardens on the grounds.

One of the trees at Oak Alley Plantation

I have an abiding and tender love for Live Oaks. I SO wish I could listen to what they could say, the stories they could tell, the history they have been eye-witness to, at times to their chagrin I’m sure. I’m also convinced that the history they could recount would be much more honest, not to mention more interesting than any fiction. A few years ago I had a tree speak to me in a fashion while I sat cradled high in its branches in Audubon Park in New Orleans one dusky evening. I leaned against its strong trunk, my hands lay flat upon its rough bark and I closed my eyes. I felt safe there, hidden from the world beneath me and comforted by the tree’s enormous unconscious strength. That experience gave me the inspiration for one of the novels in my Celtic trilogy, The Celtic Storm. Oaks were revered by the Druids, the priests of the Celts, and were cherished for their wisdom and longevity. In my novel a young girl discovers an ancient oak in the middle of a forest clearing. It speaks to her and over time it becomes her confident, playing an essential role in shaping her character.

I have an abiding and tender love for Live Oaks. I SO wish I could listen to what they could say, the stories they could tell, the history they have been eye-witness to, at times to their chagrin I’m sure. I’m also convinced that the history they could recount would be much more honest, not to mention more interesting than any fiction. A few years ago I had a tree speak to me in a fashion while I sat cradled high in its branches in Audubon Park in New Orleans one dusky evening. I leaned against its strong trunk, my hands lay flat upon its rough bark and I closed my eyes. I felt safe there, hidden from the world beneath me and comforted by the tree’s enormous unconscious strength. That experience gave me the inspiration for one of the novels in my Celtic trilogy, The Celtic Storm. Oaks were revered by the Druids, the priests of the Celts, and were cherished for their wisdom and longevity. In my novel a young girl discovers an ancient oak in the middle of a forest clearing. It speaks to her and over time it becomes her confident, playing an essential role in shaping her character.

The "Lichgate" Tree

Oak Alley Plantation is a magical place to visit if you ever get the chance. It’s only a short hour from New Orleans and worth seeing. In my opinion trees are part of the greater magic of our Oak Alley Plantation is a magical place to visit if you ever get the chance. It’s only a short hour from New Orleans and worth seeing. So is the Lichgate Tree in Tallahassee. In my opinion trees are part of the greater magic of our planet and shouldn’t planet and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Oh, and yes, I DO hug trees!

Excerpt from: www.lichgate.com  the website for the Tallahassee Tree