“The Other Oak” in Evangeline Oak Park

“Evangeline’s daughter”

The Evangeline Oak is the most famous live oak in Evangeline Oak Park, but she isn’t the only one. Even though she’s as beautiful and almost as tall as Evangeline, she’s always played second fiddle—to the point of being almost invisible. Some call her Evangeline’s daughter, but she has no official name. That is about to change.

The St. Martinville Garden Club is holding a contest to name “the other oak” in Evangeline Oak Park. Anyone, whether a resident of St. Martinville or not, may submit a proposed name. There is no entrance fee, and all ages are encouraged to participate. A brief paragraph (one or two sentences) in support of the name may accompany the submission. The name can be related to the poem Evangeline, or it can be completely unrelated. The tree can be a she, or the tree can be a he—although please be aware that there is already a live oak in St. Martinville named the Gabriel Oak. Proposed names should spotlight something specific about the history, culture or mythology of St. Martinville or St. Martin Parish. Creativity and fresh perspectives are encouraged. Choose a name that will sound through centuries to come.

Evangeline is in the background—the tree to be named is in the foreground

The name—chosen by a committee composed of representatives from the St. Martinville Garden Club, the City of St. Martinville and the St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission—will be announced on April 29, 2023, in Evangeline Oak Park. The tree will be measured according to Live Oak Society protocol, and its registration with the organization will be signed and submitted.

The contest will cap a month-long celebration of the recently renovated Evangeline Oak Park, during which the entirety of Longfellow’s epic poem Evangeline will be read, beginning on April 1st under the Evangeline Oak, and culminating at the naming ceremony on April 29. To submit a proposed name for the live oak, please complete the form below before April 15.