Historic Trees: The Candler Oak

​Think about Savannah, Georgia – what do you see? If you’re anything like us, that answer starts with live oaks and ends with Spanish moss. There’s nothing more integral to the aesthetic of the Georgia coast than those ancient trees, with their graceful, sweeping branches spreading far and wide, draped in swathes of delicate, fluffy Spanish moss. It’s no surprise, then, that one of these stunning eldritch figures has been declared a national landmark. 

​The Candler Oak is estimated to be between 350 and 450 years old, making it one of the oldest living landmarks in the area. It stands over 54 feet tall, with branches stretching over 110 feet wide. The trunk itself is more than 5 feet across! 

​But the age and stature of this magnificent specimen isn’t the only thing that makes it special. Back in the early 1800s, the tree stood on the Savannah House and Hospital grounds. The picturesque oak was a statement piece, making the hospital easily identifiable. During the Civil War, while the hospital was used by the Confederacy, the tree protected POWs in stockades built under its branches. The hospital returned to being a hospital after the war, now called the Warren A. Candler Hospital – hence the name of the tree today, the Candler Oak. 

​The grounds surrounding the tree were developed alongside the rest of Savannah. Construction, parking lots, foot traffic, automobiles, exhaust, and the general impact of daily business activity started to take its toll. The Candler Oak went into severe decline in the mid-1900s, with its life expectancy down to a mere 20 years by the 1970s. 

​Luckily, the citizens of Savannah swept in to save the day. Concerned for the state of this historic tree, they formed the Savannah Tree Foundation in 1982. Its mission? To protect and preserve Savannah’s trees amidst its urban development. Their first project was fighting to protect the Candler Oak, which they hoped to save. The foundation made history when they secured a conservation easement for the oak in 1984, the first conservation easement granted for a single tree in the nation. 

​This monumental victory protected the 6,804 square foot area surrounding the tree from further development, which was the first step in ensuring the tree’s survival. The owner of the hospital property at the time, a corporation called Huntingdon II, Ltd., donated the easement to the Savannah Tree Foundation that same year so they could take the proper steps necessary to revive the oak. Huntingdon II, Ltd. continued to support the tree’s rehabilitation monetarily in the years to come. 

​The first thing the Savannah Tree Foundation did was dismantle the asphalt paved over the tree’s root system. Then, a strict regimen of watering, fertilizing, and maintenance was established to help the oak bounce back from its decline. Under the close eye of the foundation (and with the continued patronage of the Candler Hospital) the Candler Oak began to thrive again. Arborists today have issued the tree a clean bill of health, predicting its lifespan to last well into the end of the 21st century.

​ In 2001, the Georgia Urban Forest Council registered the Candler Oak as a Georgia Landmark and Historic Tree, granting the already-popular landmark statewide recognition and protection. The National Register of Historic Trees recognized the Candler Oak in 2004. 

In 2012, the Savannah Law School purchased the property on which the Candler Oak’s easement resides. The school named the tree their official school logo, and erected a fence around the tree to preserve enough space for the lowest branches to continue to grow. They also added security surveillance against vandalism. 

After the Savannah Law School closed in 2018, the land the Candler Oak resides on was purchased by the Savannah College of Art and Design, better known as SCAD. To this day, the tree enjoys 24-hour surveillance, fenced protection, plenty of growing space, and a regular maintenance schedule, making it one of the most pampered trees in the state. 

Want to learn more about live oaks? Check out our Tree of the Month article!

---

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Sources:
Savannah Tree Foundation
Savannah Now
Savannah GA Visitors
Candler Oak Tree