A treasured Carolina icon, this large tree marks the spot where, as legend has it, Revolutionary War General William R. Davie selected the site for the University. Davie introduced the bill to charter the University in 1789. In reality, a six-man committee from the University's first governing board chose the site in November 1792. This 300-plus-year-old tulip poplar tree has stood since before the University’s founding.
The massive tree has been struck by lightning and survived several hurricanes, including the damage caused in 1996 by Hurricane Fran. Davie Poplar Jr., grown from a cutting, and Davie Poplar III, grown from the eldest tree's seed, are planted nearby.
In 1993, a Davie Poplar sapling was given to each of North Carolina’s 100 counties as part of the University’s Bicentennial Observance.