A magnolia tree thought to have been planted on the White House grounds by President Andrew Jackson in honor of his late wife was cut down Monday so it wouldn’t fall on anyone.
The nearly 200-year-old magnolia tree was the oldest on the White House grounds, according to the National Park Service. It had become a risk due to its structural integrity, having nearly doubled the average lifespan of its species.
The magnolia had “surpassed the time of serving as an aesthetic and historic landmark due to the potential harm it may cause because of the risk of structural failure,” tree specialist Peter Hart said in a report, according to a release from the White House.
The consultant added that “to eliminate the risk of personal injury and/or property damage, this tree should be removed as soon as can be scheduled.”
The “Jackson Magnolia” has needed extra support to stay upright for decades.
“In 1984, during the Reagan years, we put a metal pole in the back of the tree to support it, and we tied it off, and we probably have 50 or 60 ties to the pole through the tree and to the other trees around it to keep it from coming down,” Dale Haney, superintendent of the White House grounds, told Fox News.
The tree also took damage from a Cessna plane crash in 1994 and was pruned significantly in 2017, according to NPS.
President Trump, who intends to plant a 12-year-old sapling descended from the “Jackson Magnolia” Tuesday as a replacement, announced the move last month.
“The bad news is that everything must come to an end, and this tree is in terrible condition, a very dangerous safety hazard, at the White House Entrance, no less, and must now be removed. … The Historic wood from the tree will be preserved by the White House Staff, and may be used for other high and noble purposes!!!” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Specifically, after NPS takes a sample of the tree for its archives, the rest of the wood will belong to the Executive Residence, per the White House release.
