In 1983, a man bought eight heritage live oak trees on sale at a Sears in Humble, Texas. A sears employee loaded his truck and it wasn’t until he got home that he realized there was an additional, ninth, tree put there by mistake. So, he took the biggest of the eight oaks and planted them along the front of his RV park. The ninth tree was the smallest and puny of the trees, and rather than returning it, he decided to plant it by the deck in his backyard.

That "bonus" tree would go on to become a local legend.

While the original eight trees settled into their planned spots, growing normally, the ninth tree flourished. Growing quicker, taller, and healthier then its peers. It even produced a full crop of acorns in its very first year — an unusually precocious act for a live oak. Inspired, the owner collected the crop of acorns and planted 68 of them in pots. The following year, he planted two of each of the seedlings per every one of the 34 lots on the mobile home park. Decades later, those offspring are remarkably larger than the original eight trees.

But the real story — and the reason this tree has become a landmark — begins when the tree was only about six inches in diameter.

The owner, who had built out a patio and BBQ area nearby, wanted to add a convenient water source. Having some knowledge of tree biology and how trees compartmentalize wounds, he decided to do something no arborist would ever recommend — drill a hole through the trunk and install a water faucet.

The owner drilled a hole straight through the trunk of the tree, then used a chainsaw on the back side to cut a deep vertical channel from the hole down to the ground, wide enough to fit copper tubing. He ran the tubing up through the channel and installed a working water faucet on the opposite side of the trunk. He connected it directly to the City of Humble’s water supply and waited to see what would happen.

At worst, he figured the tree might die. But to his amazement — and eventual fame — it didn’t. The tree survived. Then it grew. Then it thrived.

Over the years, the oak continued to grow around the pipe. The faucet remained fully functional, and the tree never showed signs of decline. Instead, it flourished into a massive, healthy live oak with a secret: water flows directly from its trunk.

Today, this tree is a local celebrity.

People from all over the area visit just to see it. Some bring friends or family who don’t believe it’s real until they see water pour from the bark-mounted spigot. Many insist on tasting the water — just to say they drank from the tree.

It’s earned some fitting nicknames along the way. Locals joke that it’s a “genetically engineered water oak” or a “desert water oak” — a tongue-in-cheek nod to how absurdly unique it is. And on one unforgettable April Fools' Day, the mayor of Humble even came out to the tree, took a drink, and declared with a grin:
“It’s as good as the City of Humble’s water.”
Of course, the punchline? It is   the City of Humble’s water.

Recently, this marvel came under threat when it was struck by lightning — a sobering reminder that even the most remarkable trees are still vulnerable. The owner called our team at Eric Putnam BCMA, Inc., and we conducted a full arborist assessment.

Fortunately, the tree was still viable. We administered a custom biostimulant treatment to aid in recovery — and in perfect poetic fashion, we used water from the tree’s own faucet to mix the treatment. Today, the tree’s health is in great recovery!

This tree isn’t just wood and leaves — it’s living history, a community joke, and a feat of biology and imagination.

At Eric Putnam BCMA, Inc., we don’t just care for trees — we preserve stories. If you have a tree that matters, whether it's famous or not, our certified arborists are here to help it thrive for generations to come.