I saw the Old Senator Tree in St. Augustine, CA on 4÷21÷2014. I actually first saw it the day before. It’s hard to do a review of a tree. This tree is big, it’s old, it has its own name but it’s still just a tree. Plus, I took a phot.
Richard R.
Place rating: 4 Suwanee, GA
Why is it called The Senator? Because it’s old, crooked and shady! LOL Core tested to be no less than 600 years old, it stands in the middle of the Howard Johnson Hotel parking lot in St. Augustine Florida’s historic district. It’s pretty much dead smack inbetween where Ponce De Leon first landed when he discovered La Florida and the Castillo De San Marcos(the oldest masonry fort in the United States). MONUMENTSIGN reads: «THEOLDSENATOR. This magnificent LIVEOAK is one of the most remarkable trees in North America, reputed to be well over 600 years old, and thus surviving as though silent witness to the dramatic moment in 1513 when Juan Ponce De Leon finally discovered Saint Augustine’s famed Fountain of Youth, a mere 600 feet from this very spot.» FINALTHOUGHTS The tree hugger in me hates seeing this beauty in the parking lot of a low end hotel chain completely surrounded on all sides by asphalt. It is also a stop for most of the tour trolleys in town and to add further to its troubles, there is a palm tree growing out of its central crown. Still, it looks healthy and is quite a stately presence for hotel guests. Some of the branches stretch all the way to the balconies. If you like this old fellow, then you’ll love Angel Oak Tree in Charleston on St. John’s island. It would make this tree look like it’s mini-me.
Patricia L.
Place rating: 5 St. Augustine, FL
This tree is located in the Howard Johnson’s(HoJo) parking lot. You are welcome to walk back into the area… you do not have to be on a tour. It is quite nice if you do walk back in there so you can take your time and read the historic information at your own pace, take pictures or relax on one the benches to just take in the beauty of the tree. The tree itself is over 600 years old. When I see beautiful pieces of nature like this I often wonder what the tree would say or talk about if it could talk. After all… can you imagine the things its seen? Amazing!
