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The Wye Oak was the honorary state tree of Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
, and the largest white oak
White oak

Quercus alba, the White Oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak in the family Fagaceae, native to eastern North America, from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas....
 tree in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Located in the town of Wye Mills, in Talbot County, Maryland
Talbot County, Maryland

Talbot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County, Maryland to the north, Caroline County, Maryland to the east, Dorchester County, Maryland to the south, and the Chesapeake Bay to the west....
, the Wye Oak was believed to be over 460 years old at the time of its destruction during a severe thunderstorm on June 6, 2002, and measured 31 feet 10 inches (970 cm) in circumference of the trunk, 96 feet (29 m) in height, with a crown spread of 119 feet (36 m). For years, its sprawling limbs were carefully held together with cables.

The Wye Oak first drew the attention of the public in 1909, when Fred W.






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Wye Oak
The Wye Oak was the honorary state tree of Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
, and the largest white oak
White oak

Quercus alba, the White Oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak in the family Fagaceae, native to eastern North America, from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas....
 tree in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Located in the town of Wye Mills, in Talbot County, Maryland
Talbot County, Maryland

Talbot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County, Maryland to the north, Caroline County, Maryland to the east, Dorchester County, Maryland to the south, and the Chesapeake Bay to the west....
, the Wye Oak was believed to be over 460 years old at the time of its destruction during a severe thunderstorm on June 6, 2002, and measured 31 feet 10 inches (970 cm) in circumference of the trunk, 96 feet (29 m) in height, with a crown spread of 119 feet (36 m). For years, its sprawling limbs were carefully held together with cables.

The Wye Oak first drew the attention of the public in 1909, when Fred W. Besley, the first Maryland State Forester, made the first official measurement of the tree. Ten years later, in 1919, it was featured in American Forester magazine. In 1939, the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper house, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower house, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives....
 purchased the tree and almost 30 acres (121,000 mē) surrounding it and established the Wye Oak State Park. In 1940, the American Forestry Association
American Forestry Association

The American Forestry Association is a volunteer organization established in the United States in 1875 and currently with headquarters in Washington, D.C.....
 named the Wye Oak one of its first National Champion Trees. By the time of its destruction 62 years later, only one other tree named that year remained standing.

Dr. Frank Gouin, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a public research university located in the city of College Park, Maryland in Prince George's County, Maryland outside Washington, D.C....
, impressed both by the age and size of the tree, as well as its unusual resistance to oak wilt fungus
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
 and the gypsy moth
Gypsy moth

The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is a Lepidoptera in the family Lymantriidae of Eurasian origin. Originally ranging from Europe to Asia, it was introduced to North America in the late 1860s and has been expanding its range ever since....
, led a successful effort to clone the Wye Oak. The first two cloned saplings were planted at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon (plantation)

Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, Virginia, was the plantation#Other types of plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington....
 on April 26, 2002.

The site of the Wye Oak remains largely untouched, and the descriptive plaque placed there in 1921 remains at the site. Next to the site of the tree, and also maintained as part Wye Oak State Park, is a one-room brick schoolhouse hailing from the colonial period. It is the second oldest schoolhouse in Talbot County.

With the demise of the Wye Oak, the Linden Oak
Linden Oak

After the 2002 loss of the famous Wye Oak in Wye Mills, Maryland, Maryland, the 275-year-old Linden Oak in North Bethesda, Maryland, has, by some reckonings, become the largest white oak tree in the United States....
 in North Bethesda, Maryland
North Bethesda, Maryland

North Bethesda is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. It borders the city of Rockville, Maryland, and is closely associated with the city....
, is now the largest white oak tree in the U.S. (It is located beside the junction of Rockville Pike
Maryland Route 355

Maryland Route 355 is a north-south road in western central Maryland. MD 355 is the original route of U.S. Route 240. This route served as the primary connector linking Frederick and points west to Washington, D.C., prior to construction of current Interstate 270 ....
 and Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park

Rock Creek Park is a large urban natural area with public park facilities that bisects Washington, D.C. The park is administered by the National Park Service....
's Beach Drive, and when the Washington Metro
Washington Metro

The Washington Metro is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding suburbs. The system is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ....
 was constructed, a special curve was added to the tracks in order to protect the tree.)

Wood from the destroyed tree was used to build a new desk for the Governor's office.

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