The Dataw Historic Foundation has started a project recently to date some of the more prominent and historic Southern Live Oak trees (i.e., Quercus Virginiana) on Datha (seems appropriate to use the island’s name versus the community’s name in this context.)
We are compiling a list of the “Grande Dames of Datha Island” and adding each tree’s location and approximate age to the map below. We’d love to have residents participate by going to the Google Form at this link and entering data on whichever tree you wish.
All we ask are these three things: 1) the data must be for a Southern Live Oak tree, 2) we need the tree’s location, and 3) we need the tree’s circumference (in feet and inches). With that, we can determine the tree’s approximate age and add it to the map.
In the Google Form, we optionally ask for your contact information in case we have a question about your entry. If you submit a picture of the tree, with or without a person in the photo, we’d be glad to include that too. The photo shows up on the map when you click through to a particular tree. Who reported each tree will not be published.
For your information, the age of a live oak tree depends on many factors. Fortunately, most of these factors work in favor of our sea island; it’s an excellent place for them to grow and thrive. It is common for most species of trees to use a growth rate number. You measure the circumference of a tree, divide by pi to get the diameter, then multiply by the published growth factor (i.e., years per inch of diameter) for that tree species.
Live oaks are a bit challenging in this regard. They live so long that the question becomes, at what age do they slow down or stop growing? For instance, many larger specimen trees (e.g., Sams Cemetery Oak or the Angel Oak on John’s Island) do not fit the standard model of a single growth rate for life.
For our purposes, after consulting with several experts (including at Clemson), we have decided to use a growth factor of 4 to get an approximate age for our local live oak trees. For several of the trees on our island, this factor seems to give reasonable ages consistent with historical records.
A live oak trees approximate age (in years) is determined by mutiplying its circumference (in inches measure at your chest height), divided by 3.14, times a growth factor of 4.