To a Tea

WHENEVER I TRAVEL I always take an interest in the flora of the visited area. Sometimes I merely affirm that what I see growing is pretty much what I see growing at home. But more usually I take pleasure in observing individual specimens or learning about unfamiliar plant varieties in different climate zones. We may think we know what types of plants grow in tropic, temperate or alpine regions, but there are always surprises.

My son Andy recently moved to Charleston, S. C. Having been dragged through arboreta and botanical gardens in his early life, he has developed a budding tolerance for, if not an actual interest in, things that grow, and he knows his dad’s penchant for all things green. And so he offered to spend an afternoon helping me find and pay homage to the renowned, sprawling, 400- to 500-year-old Angel Oak of Johns Island. As my wife, Abby, read a guidebook of the general area,