Davie Poplar is a large tulip poplar

Liriodendron

Liriodendron is a genus of two species of characteristically large deciduous trees in the magnolia family .These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their large flowers superficially resembling tulips, but are closely related to magnolias rather than lilies, the...

 tree

Tree

A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...

, approximately 300-375 years old, located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...

, named in honor of Revolutionary War general and founder of the University William Richardson Davie

William Richardson Davie

William Richardson Davie was a military officer and the tenth Governor of North Carolina from 1798 to 1799, as well as one of the most important men involved in the founding of the University of North Carolina...

.

It was already a large tree as plans were being drawn up for the University in 1792, 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 almost a century later 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, it was struck by lightning, and fear that the tree was dying led the University to make a plant grafting

Grafting

Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. This vascular joining is called inosculation...

, called Davie Poplar Jr. A second Davie Poplar Jr. was planted near Hinton James Hall on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, sometimes referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina...

.Later, another tree called Davie Poplar III was planted nearby from a seed of the original tree. As part of the university's bicentennial celebration in 1993, 100 seedlings from the tree were given to 100 children representing North Carolina's 100 counties. The seedlings were to be planted in the 100 counties across the state. Where these seedlings were actually planted is not known. In 1996, Davie Poplar was badly damaged by Hurricane Fran

Hurricane Fran

Hurricane Fran was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall near Cape Fear in North Carolina at Category 3 strength. Throughout the eastern United States, early statistics on Fran reported 27 deaths and $3.2 billion in damage...

, after which the trunk was filled with cement and strung with cables to keep it up.

According to more recent legend, if a couple kisses on the stone bench beneath the tree, the couple will marry.

External links

• McCorkle Place - Short article about the history of McCorkle place, in which Davie Poplar is located.
• Davie Poplar Tour Stop - Davie Poplar on the UNC virtual tour.