The parents of a sickly child may introduce such a tree as "father" to the child, in the hope that it will help him to grow up equally strong and long-lived.
台灣民間習稱百年以上的老樹為「大樹公」，取其壽命長、根基旺，父母會帶著體質弱的小孩認大樹公為父，祈望孩子和祂一樣強健長壽。