In the atrium of the Temple of the Assumption of Mary is the legendary Tree of the Tule. Its height is 40 meters and its trunk has a perimeter of 42 meters.
It has a volume of 705 cubic meters and an approximate weight of 509 020 kilograms. Its trunk and branches present varied capricious forms, known by the popular voice, with names like: “The elephant”, “The lion”, “The three Kings” “The deer”, “The pineapple”, and “The fish” among others. This huge ahueuete gives the name to the town and beautifies the downtown of the area of it.
The botanists claim that it has a little more than two thousand years of life and in specialized books it appears as the oldest tree in the world; this tree is a sabino, classified by botanists as a Taxodium mucionatum.
Remember that “Tule” comes from tollin, acuatic plant that grows in swampy places as it was. To have an idea of its size, is suffice it to say that under its shadow can take shelter more than 500 people and that 30 individuals holding hands, with difficulty can span its perimeter. Its cup seems to be a large dome of green color; its protuberances formed in its trunk resemble figures of animals, fruits and characters. Next to the tree there is a small temple which you can visit, where you can admire its white cover, adorned with festoons based on bay leaves. The interior is beautifully decorated; has walls with small wooden altarpieces, remembrances of the baroque of the seventeenth century that show columns covered with leaves and clusters of grapes carved, images of saints, paintings and sculptures of popular court.
Three festivities are celebrated in the locality: “The Assumption of Mary” the 15 of August with 3 days of duraton, with the following events: mayordomía, calenda, fireworks; “the Tule Tree festival”, which takes place the second Monday of October, a tour of the streets is made with Guelaguetza and offering in the afternoon, consisting of giving a necklace of flowers and a bouquet of laurel and candies among the guests and visitors; and “the Candelaria”, which takes place on February 2 with the following events: mayordomía and fireworks.
