Davie Poplar is a large
tulip poplar tree located in McCorkle Place on the campus of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
. Named in honor of
Revolutionary War general and university founder
William Richardson Davie
William Richardson Davie (June 20, 1756 – November 29, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, military officer during the Revolutionary War, and 10th Governor of North Carolina, from 1798–1799. A member of the Federalist Part ...
, the tree is approximately 300 to 375 years old.
History and legends
As plans were being drawn up for the university in 1792, it was already a large tree, and legend has it that Davie personally chose to locate the school lands around the tree after having a pleasant summer lunch underneath it. The story is not true – the university's location was chosen by a six-man committee in November 1792 – and the tree was named by
Cornelia Phillips Spencer in the late 1800s to commemorate the legend.
The most enduring legend associated with the tree is that as long as Davie Poplar remains standing, the university will thrive; if it falls, the university will crumble. As such, many steps have been taken to preserve the tree. In 1918, after the tree was struck by lightning and fear that the tree was dying, UNC
grafted
Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...
a new tree, called Davie Poplar Jr. A second Davie Poplar Jr. was planted near Hinton James Hall. Later, another tree, called Davie Poplar III, was planted nearby with a seed from the original tree. A steel band was added to Davie Poplar in 1953 to attach cables to other trees, and the base has been filled with concrete and pruned to keep it upright.
As part of the university's bicentennial celebration in 1993, 100 seedlings from the tree were given to 100 children planted across
North Carolina's 100 counties.
Where the trees were planted is not known, except for the
Burke County seedling, which is in front of Table Rock Middle School. In 1996, Davie Poplar was damaged by
Hurricane Fran
Hurricane Fran caused extensive damage in the United States in early September 1996. The sixth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season, Fran developed from a tropical wave near Cape Verde on ...
.
A fire was set and a small device was detonated at the base of Davie Poplar on November 2, 2017, producing a small fire ball and scorching the side of the tree. The explosion caused minor injuries to
Dr. Daniel Reichart who tried to stomp out the fire.
See also
*
List of individual trees
References
External links
McCorkle Place- Short article about the history of McCorkle place, in which Davie Poplar is located.
- Davie Poplar on the UNC virtual tour.
{{University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, state=collapsed
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landmarks
Individual trees in the United States
Landmarks in North Carolina