The "Big Tree", near the town of Rockport, Texas, is one of the most famous live oaks in the world after being named "Texas State Champion Virginia Live Oak" (Quercus virginiana) in 1969. The tree retained that title until 2003, when a larger oak was discovered in Brazoria County, Texas. The "Big Tree" is still thought to be one of the largest live oak specimens in the United States.
Despite the widespread, historically significant devastation of the surrounding region, the "Big Tree" was relatively unscathed by Hurricane Harvey, a category 4 hurricane that hit Rockport on August 25, 2017.