Southern
Live Oak Tree

At approximately 280 years old, this Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) on Reymond Avenue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, predates the American Revolutionary War.
It is located on land that was once part of the Hundred Oaks Plantation, which was developed by a wealthy Kentucky family, circa1820. During the first quarter of the 20th century, the plantation was subdivided into single-family lots and a house was constructed on the site. In 1947, Alma Lee and H. Norman Saurage, Jr. purchased the property. The Saurages engaged arborists annually to provide ongoing care, feeding, and pruning for the tree; eventually devising support posts for its massive branches. With the recent death of Norman Saurage, the expected sale of the property presents an impending threat. A new, larger construction introduced by a new owner would likely require the removal of the grand oak