The Cathedral Oak® Story

Planted in January of 1992 the tree that became Cathedral Oak ® was just one of thousands of Live Oaks planted by Shadowlawn Nursery that year. In the summer of 1994 its strong central leader and overall fullness caught the attention of grower, Brent Reeves. Over the subsequent growing season its rapid growth and dark green coloring further emphasized the superior nature of this tree. By fall of 1996 18 cuttings had taken root out of 75 attempted. With a refinement of technique and procedure, tens of thousands of Cathedral Oaks ® are produced every year by growers across the country. The parent tree still thrives at Shadowlawn Nursery and they welcome you to come and see it for yourself.

Behind the Cathedral Oak® Name

There is a story that Paul Reinhold, the businessman whose acumen and generosity made Shadowlawn Nursery possible, told often and liked so much he had it printed at the top of every issue of his company’s newsletter. The story, which is referred to as the Cathedral Builder story, goes like this:

There was a man who walked down a street and came upon three men cutting stone. He asked the first man what he was doing, and he replied, “I’m cutting stone.” He asked the second man the same question, and his reply was, “I am making $5.00 a day.” But when he asked the third man what he was doing, his eyes lit up, his face beamed, and he replied, “I, sir, am building a CATHEDRAL.”

Mr. Reinhold would then say, “The men who are just doing their job are ‘Hindmost.’ Those who are working for the money they can get at the present time are ‘Almost.’ The ones looking forward, who are building a cathedral, are ‘Foremost.’

Live Oaks with their arching canopies and flowing limbs are the true cathedrals of the forest across their range. As the foremost clonal live oak available today, the Cathedral Oak ® and it's name honors these magnificent trees and their superior qualities ensures that there will be cathedrals of the forest for generations to come.