The White House lawn is about to lose some green.
The White House lawn is about to lose some green.
The historic Jackson Magnolia, a tree that has stood outside the White House since the 1800s, is slated to be cut down and removed, according to CNN.
First Lady Melania Trump made the decision to uproot the centuries-old tree after experts determined that it was beyond saving.
“The overall architecture and structure of the tree is greatly compromised and the tree is completely dependent on the artificial support,” according to a report from specialists at the United States National Arboretum.
The tree is expected to be removed later this week but there is a green lining. White House groundskeepers, in preparation for its demise, set in motion a plan to plant offshoots of the tree at a green-house location nearby.
The plan calls for the offshoots, now about 8 to10 feet tall, to give rise to a new tree that will be planted in the same spot as the original Jackson Magnolia, CNN reported.
The tree has a storied history.
President Andrew Jackson introduced the magnolia to the White House sometime after his 1829 inauguration.
The tree was planted in memory of his deceased wife, Rachel, who died just days after the election.
Jackson had insisted on planting a sprout from Rachel’s favorite magnolia from the couple’s Tennessee farm.
From 1928 to 1988, the $20 bill depicted the Jackson Magnolia.
The tree’s first signs of trouble emerged in the early 1970s when a section of its tangled base was removed and cement was poured into its exposed cavity, a technique no arborist would advise today.
The concrete severely damaged the tree. In 1981, it was removed and replaced with a pole and cable system to keep the tree’s base intact.
The tree’s health has gradually diminished over time, leaving it hollowed out in sections.
“Further cabling and support of the east leader is not an option due to the fragile, almost non-existent lower trunk,” says the report from the United States National Arboretum experts.
“There is no longer a sound foundation, and the upper portion lacks sound wood for cabling. This half of the tree is considered a hazard. The west leader, on the other hand, could possibly be saved for a time, but will eventually succumb to the same fate.”
