The South Carolina state flag features the palmetto tree and a crescent moon, but Charleston is the only place in the state where the palmetto grows. I have a complicated relationship with the palmetto. On one hand I like it because it is such a vacation-beach tree. On the other, I am not a big fan because I cannot understand that any season besides summer could exist in a location with palmettos. While Charleston is generally quite warm and I will argue did not have an autumn, it did have a winter. Palmetto trees covered in ice and snow are just confusing.
I was relatively sure that I remembered the significance of the palmetto, but I looked it up just to make sure. The walls of Fort Moultrie - a nearby fort on Sullivan's Island - were built of palmetto trees. During the Revolution, British cannons seemed to just bounce off of the rubbery palmettos, helping protect the Charleston area. The flag was later designed by war hero William Moultrie, and it pays homage to the tree that defended the land.
On most days, I enjoy seeing palmetto trees scattered around downtown, along the battery, and randomly growing in my suburban neighborhood (like this one). They remind me that I am in Charleston and in the South. It just needs to be hot for me to fully accept their presence. But I will probably regret saying that in a few weeks time.
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