Love Tree

St. Augustine, Florida

The seed of a palm tree falls into a crevice in a gnarled old oak tree. St. Augustine is damp enough that the palm tree soaks up moisture from the oak tree's bark, sprouts, and grows. Later, the palm tree sends down shallow roots that don't interfere with the deep roots of the oak, leaving two different trees growing in the same spot.

That's the cold, dispassionate explanation for St. Augustine's "Love Tree." The local legend, however, states that one person planted the oak and the other the palm tree. They fell in love, and as their love grew the trees fused into one.

St. Augustine actually has seven Love Trees -- the most famous one is just up the block from this one -- so clearly it's a city with a lot of love. And trees.