Angel Oak, Live oak tree in Johns Island, US.
Angel Oak is a live oak on Johns Island in Charleston, South Carolina, spreading its canopy across roughly 1600 square meters. The longest branch reaches about 57 meters (187 feet) from the center of the trunk, forming a sprawling web of wood and moss.
The tree likely sprouted several centuries before European settlement arrived in the region and survived countless hurricanes and floods. Ownership of the land later passed to the Angel family, whose name remains tied to the tree today.
The name recalls the estate once held by Justus Angel and Martha Waight Tucker Angel, who owned the surrounding land. Some visitors report shadowy figures near the trunk, linking the tree to former plantation inhabitants.
The park opens daily except on holidays and charges no admission, with a shop selling regional goods and learning materials. A short walk is enough to circle the trunk and view the sprawling limbs from different angles.
Some branches grow downward first, touch the ground, and then rise upward again, creating natural arches. This unusual growth pattern gives the tree an almost sculptural appearance rarely seen in other specimens.
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