Davie Poplar

Davie Poplar is the name given to a tulip poplar tree on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus, associated with the university’s founder William Richardson Davie and regarded as a symbol of the institution. The tree is historically significant and has been protected and celebrated by the campus community.

A single notable tree marked by a plaque and often used as a meeting point and photo subject by visitors and students. The immediate area around the tree is a maintained green space within the university’s historic quadrangle and campus core.

Local tradition links the tree to William R. Davie and the founding period of the university in the late 18th century; over time the tree has been the subject of conservation measures, propagations and campus lore. It has survived storms and interventions and remains a focal historic feature of the campus.

Situated on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the tree stands within the campus’s historic core and is accessible from the main pedestrian routes.

• Campus symbol: A university landmark planted in the late 18th century by or associated with founder William Richardson Davie, long regarded as a campus symbol and protected by the university.
• Access: Easily reached on foot from central campus public spaces and commonly photographed near the historic quadrangle and academic buildings.