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Last month historic Redcliffe Plantation on Beech Island received the 2012 S.C. Heritage Tree Award. This recognition honors the property’s stunning quarter mile allee of Magnolia trees estimated to be a century and a half old.

Redcliffe was the home of James Henry Hammond, a U.S. Congressman (1835-1836), governor of S.C. (1842-1844) and U.S. senator (1857-1860). In 1973 Redcliffe Plantation was donated to the S.C. State Park Service. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Heritage Tree Award identifies, celebrates and recognizes S.C. trees that are remarkable because of their age, their association with an historic structure or district, their association with an important historic event or person or their overall significance to the community.

Trees may be nominated as individuals or as a group. They must be located either on public property or on private property that is easily accessible free of charge. Previous award winners include the White Oak (Irmo), the Deerhead Oak (McClellanville), the Wade Hampton Oak (Conway), the Boundary Street oak allee (Aiken), The Horseshoe (USC), the Angel Oak (Charleston), the Centennial Bur Oak (Clemson), the Southern Magnolia (Winthrop University) and the Trinity Live Oaks (Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Columbia). Winners receive a bronze plaque to be displayed near the trees.

The Heritage Tree Award is a project of Trees S.C., formerly the S.C. Urban and Community Forestry Council. Founded in 1991 as a non-profit organization, Trees S.C. fosters the stewardship of S.C.’s urban and community trees and forests through education, advocacy and networking. Bartlett Tree Experts sponsors the award.

Trees S.C.’s award program also recognizes individuals, including both professionals and volunteers, as well as organizations who have made an outstanding contribution to urban or community forestry.

To learn more, visit www.treessc.org and www.southcarolinaparks.com/redcliffe.

— Joanna Angle is a Master Tree Farmer and 2012 South Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year. Her Cedarleaf Farm in Chester County is a Certified Stewardship Forest and part of the American Tree Farm System.