Reba McEntire Plants Survivor Tree Seedling for 30th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing

Country music legend Reba McEntire is a proud Oklahoma native. Over the holiday weekend, she dedicated some time to honoring the 30th anniversary of one of the worst modern tragedies in her home state: The Oklahoma City Bombing. In an Instagram post from April 20th, she and her partner, Rex Linn, posed with a seedling on her Nashville property.

As McEntire explains in the post’s caption, the seedling originated from The Survivor Tree, the lone tree that escaped the explosion unscathed. McEntire wrote: “We planted this tree in honor of those 168 precious lives lost that day, and as a symbol of hope for the future.”

McEntire Honored the Victims at the ACM Awards in 1995

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As McEntire shared on Facebook, she took home two ACM awards in 1995, including the Entertainer of the Year award. This momentous day in her career happened on May 10, not even a month after the Oklahoma City bombing. Although she was obviously happy to win these awards, McEntire also couldn’t overlook the suffering in her native Oklahoma.

In a video clip of her acceptance speech for the Entertainer of the Year award, the country star honored those impacted by the tragedy. “I have to say, from the bottom of my heart, being an Okie, born and raised, I’m going to dedicate this to all the folks who are left behind. The co-workers, the family, the friends… our heart goes out to you.”

The Survivor Tree is a Fixture in the Oklahoma City National Memorial

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After surviving the bombing in 1995, the Survivor Tree has become a familiar sight for locals and tourists alike. As the Oklahoma City National Memorial website explains, the tree has been around for nearly as long as the state itself, and provided workers with a welcome spot of shade before the attack.

Anyone who feels inspired by McEntire’s touching 30th anniversary tribute can easily take part in it themselves. As the website notes, seedlings from the Survivor Tree are available to the public. Growers use seeds directly from the famed tree to grow the seedlings, which ship directly from nurseries.