The Senator, Ancient cypress tree in Longwood, US

The Senator was a bald cypress in Big Tree Park, Longwood, Florida, standing 125 feet (38 m) tall with a trunk diameter of 11.27 feet (3.44 m). Its pale grey bark, ridged and knotted, rose from a low black metal fence at the base. A 2006 survey measured its volume at over 5,100 cubic feet (140 m3), the largest tree of any species east of the Mississippi River.

Native American tribes in Central Florida used the 3500-year-old tree as a reference point for travel through the surrounding wetlands. After European settlement, it remained standing as a natural monument and drew visitors from the region.

The tree carried the name of Moses Overstreet, a Florida State Senator who transferred the land to Seminole County. His donation allowed the creation of a public park in 1927.

Visitors can reach the Big Tree Park grounds using wooden walkways that wind between the trees. Informational signs along the paths explain the local flora and the history of the area.

The clone at the park entrance, named "The Phoenix", was not made by scientists: Marvin Buchanan took branches after wind damage and cloned the tree on his own tree farm. The charred trunk still stands only 6 to 8 metres tall.