NORTH MYRTLE BEACH TREE CITY BOARD SELECTS A TURKEY OAK AS ITS TREE OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER
The North Myrtle Beach Tree City Board selected a Turkey Oak at 502 11th Avenue North as its Tree of the Month for October.
Laura Callahan purchased the home in 2016, initially attracted to it by the outstanding tree in the front yard.
Formally classified as Quercus laevis, the tree’s leaves resemble those of a turkey’s foot, leading to the name Turkey Oak. This Turkey Oak has lived an estimated 120 years, making it one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the area.
When original homeowner Silvia McGee built the 11th Avenue North house in 1968, she took great pains to protect the tree, including building the house far enough away from the tree to protect its root zone.
Callahan has had challenges keeping the tree healthy and has consulted the Clemson Extension service for advice on how best to prolong its life.
Due to their slow growth, Turkey Oaks are not a preferred landscape tree, however, mature Turkey Oaks do make fantastic specimen trees when protected during the development of adjacent areas.
Along the coast, Turkey Oaks are typically volunteer trees that pop up in groves in undeveloped, poor, thin, dry and/or sandy areas, due in part to the profuse number of acorns they produce.
Turkey Oak does not have the full crown that is characteristic of most oak trees but its unique shape and appearance still make it desirable on infertile, dry, sandy sites throughout the southeastern United States.
Property owners and developers interested in finding learning more about how they can preserve trees on their property are encouraged to contact the North Myrtle Beach Tree City Board at nmbtreeboard@nmb.us.
ABOUT THE TREE OF THE MONTH AWARD PROGRAM
The Tree City Board began its Tree of the Month program in 2010 in order to recognize preserved trees in the city and those who care for them. The program also helps highlight the many benefits trees offer in our daily lives.
If you think you have the biggest, prettiest, or most unusual tree in North Myrtle Beach, or that your tree has a unique story attached to it, the Tree City Board encourages you to contact Parks & Grounds Superintendent Jim Grainger at (843) 280‐5571 or via email at nmbtreeboard@nmb.us.