Fred the Tree

Last updated
Fred the Tree and the younger tree on Seven Mile Bridge in Florida. Seven Mile Bridges FL07.jpg
Fred the Tree and the younger tree on Seven Mile Bridge in Florida.

Fred the Tree is a wild-growing celebrity Casuarina tree (also known as an Australian pine, though it is not a true pine). It is located on the defunct Seven Mile Bridge, the part of Overseas Highway that connects the Florida Keys with mainland Florida. [1] The tree is located on the old part of the highway, originally constructed as a railroad line, which can be seen from the new Overseas Highway. [2] [3]

The portion of the Seven Mile Bridge where Fred the Tree is located, is not accessible through any means except boat or helicopter. It can be viewed from the Overseas Highway between Mile Marker 41 and 42. The trusses of the bridges were originally built with sand, so the Australian pine tree, which is capable of surviving in salty conditions with extreme heat, likely sprouted out of bird droppings, with its roots growing deep into the sand inside the concrete structure. [2] [4] [ self-published source? ]

Fred the Tree is often referred to as a sign of hope and the resilience of the people in the Florida Keys due to its ability to thrive in such harsh conditions on a concrete bridge, while surviving a number of hurricanes and extreme weather events. [2]

Fred the Tree has made appearances in books and media, it was featured most recently in the 2024 remake Road House with Jake Gyllenhaal and Conner McGregor. [5] [2] Fred the Tree has also been memorialized as a children's book by author Leigh Guest. [4] [6]

For over a decade a group of volunteers named Fred's Elves decorates the tree each year with lights and holiday decorations including a solar powered menorah. Even the smaller tree that has sprouted next to Fred is decorated. [2] [7]

Fred the Tree (and his younger "brother" on the left), decorated for Christmas. Christmastime Fred the Tree.jpg
Fred the Tree (and his younger "brother" on the left), decorated for Christmas.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Pine Key, Florida</span> Census-designated place in Florida, United States

Big Pine Key is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, United States, on an island of the same name in the Florida Keys. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 4,521.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Keys</span> Coral cay archipelago in Florida, United States

The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami and extend in an arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. The southern part of Key West is 93 miles (150 km) from Cuba. The Keys are located between about 24.3 and 25.5 degrees North latitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout Key</span> Island in the lower Florida Keys, United States

Scout Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys. It was previously known as West Summerland Key until 2010. U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile markers 34–35, between Spanish Harbor Key and Big Pine Key.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key Largo</span> Island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago

Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at 33 miles (53 km) long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the keys connected by U.S. Highway 1. Three census-designated places (CDPs) are on the island of Key Largo: North Key Largo, Key Largo and Tavernier. As of 2010, these three CDPs have a combined population of 13,850. None of Key Largo is an incorporated municipality; it is governed, at the local level, by Monroe County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Mile Bridge</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The Seven Mile Bridge is a bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. Among the longest bridges in existence when it was built, it is part of the Overseas Highway in the Keys, which is part of the 2,369-mile (3,813 km) U.S. Route 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road A1A</span> State highway in Florida, United States

State Road A1A (SR A1A) is a major north–south Florida State Road consisting of seven separate sections running a total of 338.752 miles (545.168 km) along the Atlantic Ocean, from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Fernandina Beach, just south of Georgia on Amelia Island. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. Part of SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway, a National Scenic Byway. SR A1A is famous worldwide as a center of beach culture in the United States, a scenic coastal route through most Atlantic coastal cities and beach towns, including the unique tropical coral islands of the Florida Keys. SR A1A also serves as a major thoroughfare through Miami Beach and other south Florida coastal cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Highway</span> Highway through the Florida Keys to Key West, Florida, USA

The Overseas Highway is a 113-mile (181.9 km) highway carrying U.S. Route 1 (US 1) through the Florida Keys to Key West. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially destroyed in the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. The Florida East Coast Railway was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the state of Florida for $640,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Railroad</span> Former railroad in southern Florida, United States

The Overseas Railroad was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city located 128 miles (206 km) beyond the end of the Florida peninsula. Work on the line started in 1905 and it operated from 1912 to 1935, when it was partially destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane. Some of the remaining infrastructure was used for the Overseas Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Name Key</span> Island in the lower Florida Keys, United States

No Name Key is the name of an island in the lower Florida Keys in the United States. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) from US 1 and sparsely populated, with only 43 homes. It is only about 1,140 acres in comparison to its larger neighbor, Big Pine Key, which lies about half a mile (800 m) to its west. It is accessible by a concrete bridge from Big Pine Key and was the terminus of a car ferry that existed before the present Overseas Highway was built on the remains of Flagler's Overseas Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Card Sound Bridge</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

Card Sound Bridge is a high-rise toll causeway connecting southern Miami-Dade County and northern Monroe County. It is one of only two ways that motorists can leave or enter the Florida Keys. The toll for two-axle automobiles is USD $1.50 if paid via SunPass. The prior toll plaza was demolished during Hurricane Matthew and has been replaced with a toll-by-plate plaza. The toll fee will be charged by plate automatically and sent via the mail to the address on the vehicle registration. The cashless all-electronic tolling system replaced the previous staffed toll booth on October 20, 2018. The toll fee is waived upon evacuating the Keys for hurricanes or in instances in which US 1 is impassable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 789</span> State highway in Florida, United States

State Road 789 is a 17.5-mile-long road along the Florida’s Gulf Coast that spans Bird Key, St. Armands Key, and Lido Key, in Sarasota; Longboat Key ; and Anna Maria Island. The southern terminus is the intersection of the John Ringling Causeway and Tamiami Trail in Sarasota; the northern terminus is the intersection of Gulf Drive, North and Manatee Avenue., West in Holmes Beach. Much of the northernmost five miles (8 km) has been designated Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 in Florida</span> Highway in Florida

U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) in Florida runs 545 miles (877 km) along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Numbered Highway System was established in 1926. With the exception of Monroe County, the highway runs through the easternmost tier of counties in the state, connecting numerous towns and cities along its route, including nine county seats. The road is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Key</span> Island in the lower Florida Keys, United States

Park Key is an uninhabited island in the lower Florida Keys about 14 miles (23 km) east of Key West. It is 1500 meters long, and between 75 and 260 meters wide. It measures 70 acres in area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahia Honda Key</span> Island in Florida, United States

Bahia Honda is an island in the lower Florida Keys.

Money Key is a small island in Monroe County in the unincorporated, Lower Florida Keys. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean between Little Duck Key and Pigeon Key.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewfish Creek Bridge</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The Jewfish Creek Bridge is a beam bridge in the Florida Keys. Spanning both Jewfish Creek and Lake Surprise, it carries the Overseas Highway between the Florida Keys and the Florida mainland. The bridge is 65 feet (20 m) tall and opened in 2008, replacing a small drawbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Key Bridge</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The Long Key Bridge, officially known as the Dante B. Fascell Bridge, is a bridge in the Florida Keys connecting Long Key and Conch Key, roughly halfway between Miami and Key West. At a length of nearly two and a half miles, it is the second longest bridge on the Overseas Highway after the Seven Mile Bridge. The current bridge opened in 1982, replacing the parallel Long Key Viaduct, which carried the Overseas Railroad from 1907 to 1935 and was repurposed for highway use shortly after.

Clarence Stanley Coe was an American master bridge builder and railroad civil engineer, who supervised the planning and building of the Florida East Coast Railway's Seven Mile Bridge, linking the Florida Keys to Marathon, Monroe County, which, when completed in January 1912, was acclaimed as the longest bridge in the world and an engineering marvel. Later, Coe was appointed the first city manager of Miami, Florida, and after that was appointed chief engineer of Duval County, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake Creek Bridge</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

Snake Creek Bridge is a bascule bridge in the village of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The single-leaf steel bascule bridge carries the Overseas Highway over Snake Creek, connecting Plantation Key and Windley Key. It is located near mile marker 86.

References

  1. Bridges, C. A. "Pine no more for amazing Florida road trip: Top 8 destinations for tree lovers this summer". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Gusmao, Kika (2023-11-27). "The Story of Fred, the Florida Celebri-Tree". Global Tree Initiative. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  3. Sharpe, Lynn (2024-03-28). "Road House: The True Story Of Florida's "Fred The Tree" & Its Deeper Meaning For Dalton Explained". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  4. 1 2 Myers, Laura (2024-03-06). "Fred the Tree: The Florida Keys' 'Celebri-Tree'". Keys Voices | The Florida Keys & Key West Blog. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  5. Filosa, Gwen (2024-04-05). "FRED THE TREE GOES HOLLYWOOD IN NEW 'ROAD HOUSE' MOVIE". Florida Keys Weekly Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  6. "Already a star in the Keys, Fred the Tree is now going to Hollywood". WLRN. 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  7. Media, J. S. R. (2022-11-29). "Have You Met Fred the Tree? Introducing the Keys' Quirkiest Resident". Flamingo Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-20.

24°41′23″N81°12′17″W / 24.6896°N 81.2048°W / 24.6896; -81.2048