‘So many stories it can tell’: Age catches up to large oak tree at a Charlotte park
A giant oak by the pond at Charlotte’s Freedom Park has seen countless proposals, family fishing outings and even a visitor tripping on acid. Now the big tree has been cut down.
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation on Thursday said the tree had “reached the end of its life cycle” and needed to be removed.
“The tree has started to split and become a hazard to the public,” Park and Rec said.
Removal began Thursday and completed by Friday afternoon.
The tree could be 80-120 years old, the county said in a Facebook post.
“The contractors on site will be working to salvage a slice of the trunk’s root flare for an attempt to count the growth rings,” Park and Rec said.
The department’s Facebook post received over 300 reactions, and commenters were thankful the tree would come down as a precaution.
Many said they were sorry to see the old oak go.
“So many stories it can tell,” one Facebook user wrote.
Another mentioned he played drums under the tree many times over the years, while one user said he “tripped acid a lot” underneath it.
On Twitter, one person said her husband proposed to her under the tree.
One father called the tree “iconic” and said he spent “many a day” fishing underneath it with his son.
Park and Rec, in its social media posts, said it is exploring options to replace the oak.
This story was originally published August 20, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
