The Tule Tree

Tule Tree on the Church Grounds

We arrived in Santa Maria del Tule and parked near the town center.  The huge tree dominated the town center and is said to have the widest girth in the world. It is slightly wider than the giant sequoia.  The diameter of the tree is 30.8 ft.  It is so wide that thirty people with arms extended are needed to encircle it. Scientists estimate its age to be 1,433 – 1,600 years old. The tree is a Montezuma cypress and is Mexico’s national tree.

The tree is nicknamed the “Tree of Life” because of the images of animals reputedly seen in the tree’s knarled trunk. Some of those images are “the pineapple”, “the elephant”, the “sleeping baby”, and “the deer”.

Shawn and I  just meandered around the tree taking photos and then took a walk around the flower garden. We had a quick look inside the church – the Temple of the Virgin Mary of the Assumption.  The Baroque-style church dates from the 18th century.

Views of the tree’s trunk

The Town’s Main Church

It was getting late so we headed for the city and our hotel.  We really enjoyed all the wonderous sights that we had seen.  Our guides had been extremely friendly and helped make our experience pleasurable.

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