Historical Name: Edgar Allan Poe
Common Name: Hackberry
Latin Name: Celtis occidentalis
In the Enchanted Garden at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia grows the magnificent Edgar Allan Poe Hackberry. The beautifully-landscaped gardens were created from descriptions in Poe’s poems, “To One In Paradise” and “To Helen.” The Old Stone House where the museum is located is only a few blocks from where Poe lived. One of the most prolific writers of his times, Poe was raised, married, and first gained national recognition in Richmond. He is most remembered for his dark tales such as “The Raven,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” This tree was grown from a seed taken from the Edgar Allan Poe Hackberry, and was planted into UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove in 1997.
(text adapted from American Forests)