Heartwood

The legacy of trees

By Robert Clark

Photography by Robert Clark

The majestic live oaks and azaleas of the South Carolina Lowcountry are a marvelous site to behold.

Most people have the desire to be remembered, to leave a legacy for future generations coming after them. While some may compose a musical masterpiece, paint a monumental work of art, or create an endowment to fund future projects, a legacy can also be as simple as planting a tree. Long after the short span of a human life concludes, a tree lives on for hundreds or even thousands of years.

In Spartanburg, ‘Green Vase’ Zelkova border the walkway to the fountain at the Milliken Arboretum. Roger Milliken established the Noble Tree Foundation in 1999, with the goal of beautifying and enhancing the environment through planting trees.
In Spartanburg, ‘Green Vase’ Zelkova border the walkway to the fountain at the Milliken Arboretum. Roger Milliken established the Noble Tree Foundation in 1999, with the goal of beautifying and enhancing the environment through planting trees.
Protected by the visions of conservationists, towering bald cypress and numerous champion state trees in Congaree National Park allow visitors to experience the magnitude of nature’s unlimited potential.
Protected by the visions of conservationists, towering bald cypress and numerous champion state trees in Congaree National Park allow visitors to experience the magnitude of nature’s unlimited potential.

For me, the greatest legacies are those found and seen in nature. An unpaved road on Edisto Island sums up best what I see and experience in the legacy of trees. Both sides of the road are bordered with ancient, gnarled live oaks, decorated with Spanish moss. The trees form an overhead tunnel above the lane and provide a historical and visual legacy of how South Carolina looked centuries ago. I appreciate the sense of going back in time as the emotional legacy of the lane hits home in my mind. I’ve seen this lane in foggy conditions, bright sunny days, and in the golden hour light of sunrises and sunsets. I treasure the nuances each trip brings to my experiences of being alive. Planted hundreds of years ago, the trees have a  legacy that continues to thrive.

Roger Milliken’s foresight rewards us with a grove of flowering crabapple.
Roger Milliken’s foresight rewards us with a grove of flowering crabapple.
A place to rest and a final resting place are enriched by the planting of legacy live oaks and crepe myrtles.
A place to rest and a final resting place are enriched by the planting of legacy live oaks and crepe myrtles.
A place to rest and a final resting place are enriched by the planting of legacy live oaks and crepe myrtles.
A place to rest and a final resting place are enriched by the planting of legacy live oaks and crepe myrtles.

Forty miles from Columbia is a world renown biosphere known as Congaree National Park. South Carolina’s sole national park, Congaree’s legacy is the preservation of virgin bottomland floodplain forest. Here, numerous champion state trees tower over the landscape. The forest provides an invaluable legacy of experiences in allowing us to witness how large a tree can grow when nature’s floodplain legacy is allowed to exist. Set aside and protected for generations to come, the forest reminds us of how lands that were commonplace centuries ago are now threatened with development. Researchers have spent years deep in the Congaree searching for the last remaining ivory-billed woodpeckers. No positive evidence of the bird’s presence has perhaps sealed the legacy of this regal bird that required 6 square miles of primitive forest to exist.

Legend states the dogwood tree was used for the wood of Christ’s cross. Blooming at a churchyard during the time of Easter, it reminds us and lifts our hearts with a legacy of hope for mankind.
Legend states the dogwood tree was used for the wood of Christ’s cross. Blooming at a churchyard during the time of Easter, it reminds us and lifts our hearts with a legacy of hope for mankind.
In 1790, the crepe myrtle was first introduced to America in Charleston. These ancient legacy trees frame a garden fountain at the Governor’s Mansion in Columbia.
In 1790, the crepe myrtle was first introduced to America in Charleston. These ancient legacy trees frame a garden fountain at the Governor’s Mansion in Columbia.

In Spartanburg, Roger Milliken’s legacy was built on his leadership and contributions to the textile industry, philanthropy, and his love of trees. Buying 600 acres of a peach farm, Milliken established the campus of the Milliken Corporation and founded the Milliken Arboretum. Now recognized nationally, it is one of the largest corporate green spaces in the Southeast. I’ve spent many days walking and admiring the treescapes within the arboretum. In the spring, visit and admire the explosion of budding trees in all colors, and in autumn, marvel at the crisp sunlight shining through a canopy of autumn leaves. Both seasons help me experience the legacy of Roger Milliken’s love of trees. Milliken’s legacy continues today through the establishment of the Noble Tree Foundation, started to help understand the importance of planting trees in our environments, appreciating the value of trees within the environment, and promoting well-being in the community. Noble legacies for generations to come.

Nature based legacies passed on to us abound in South Carolina. Previous generations saw the need to beautify towns, parks, churches, nature preserves, and even forests for South Carolinians to enjoy. March is a wonderful month to enjoy the legacy of nature and trees, with the arrival of spring at Easter time bringing blooming branches and flowers to lift our hopes and spirits.

A South Carolina Lowcountry allée of live oaks reminds us of the foresight and gifts legacy trees provide our lives. Naturalist John Muir said it best: “When one plants a tree they plant themselves. Every root is an anchor, over which one rests with grateful interests, and becomes sufficiently calm to feel the joy of living.”
A South Carolina Lowcountry allée of live oaks reminds us of the foresight and gifts legacy trees provide our lives. Naturalist John Muir said it best: “When one plants a tree they plant themselves. Every root is an anchor, over which one rests with grateful interests, and becomes sufficiently calm to feel the joy of living.”

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