This Kentucky Coffee Tree that blew down on an Onancock property known as “Sans Souci” meaning “Carefree”. This was a beautiful setting for a tree that grew for nearly 90 years before Hurricane Ernesto toppled it in 2006. The story of this tree dates back to the early 1900’s when a peddler came through town with mahogany seedlings for sale. His sales pitch was that if the owner planted the seedling, by the time their child reached college age, they could cut the tree and make enough money to pay for their education. Apparently, he was successful since several of these trees are still growing in town. The owner of Sans Souci didn’t really appreciate the dense pods messing up his lawnmower and his children dreaded the job of picking up the pods before he mowed. The form and contrasting colors make this a special piece. The title is from the smooth flowing grain patterns giving it a carefree appearance.