Tree That Owns Itself

The Tree That Owns Itself
Postcard of the tree from the 1930s or 1940s
The Tree That Owns Itself is located in Georgia
The Tree That Owns Itself
The Tree That Owns Itself
Location of the tree within Georgia
SpeciesWhite oak (Quercus alba)
Coordinates33°57′17″N 83°22′56″W / 33.954779°N 83.382325°W / 33.954779; -83.382325
Date seededmid 1500s - late 1700s
(replaced in 1942)
Date felled1942 (1942) (replaced)
CustodianItself
The original Tree That Owns Itself in 1910

The Tree That Owns Itself is a white oak tree that, according to legend, has legal ownership of itself and of all land within eight feet (2.4 m) of its base. Also known as the Jackson Oak, the tree is at the corner of South Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia, US. The original tree, thought to have started life between the mid-16th and late 18th century, fell in 1942, but a new tree was grown from one of its acorns and planted in the same location. The current tree is sometimes referred to as the Son of the Tree That Owns Itself. Both trees have appeared in numerous national publications, and the site is a local landmark.