User:Greg.Hartley/Lady Liberty (tree)

Lady Liberty is a Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) located in Longwood Florida. The tree is over 2,000 years old and stands 40 feet (12 m) from the former site of The Senator, a 3,500 year old Pond Cypress that burned down on January 16, 2012. With the Senator's demise, Big Tree Park has taken greater notice of its last remaining giant and has taken steps to ensure its preservation.

Dimensions
At the time of its last recorded measurement in 2015, the tree stood 82 feet tall with a trunk circumference of 394 inches and a crown spread of 34 feet. Its dimensions do not grant it status as a Florida Champion tree of its species, but it is listed among numerous challengers.

Age
No specific aging statistics for the tree are available, however based on its size, numerous forestry sources, including the county's historical marker for the tree, have estimated that the tree is at least 2,000 years old.

Name
For years, the large tree standing nearby The Senator was simply called "The Companion." However, in 2005, Geneva Elementary School held a contest to find a more suitable name for the tree. Two fifth graders submitted the name "Lady Liberty," winning the contest. One of the tree's branches stands at an angel which, if viewed correctly, "sort of looks like the uplifted arm of the Statute of Liberty."

Preservation
For years the boardwalk at Big Tree Park did not permit direct access to Lady Liberty, When the tree was officially renamed in 2005, the county extended the walkway to include the tree and erected a protective fence surrounding it.