First Lady Melania Trump is leaving her mark on the White House’s grounds.
Her office says she’ll be planting a sapling from the Eisenhower Oak tree that’s near the Kennedy Garden on Monday on the South Lawn. The tree will replace one that the White House says was excavated.
It was not immediately clear where on the South Lawn the excavated tree was.
On Friday afternoon, the first lady, who was clad in a white skirt, white Michael Kors jacket and black blouse with white polka dots, was making her way to Ohio for a Republican Party dinner with her husband. She and President Trump were also visiting a children’s hospital.
Her office announced plans to hold a tree-planting ceremony at the White House on Monday before their White House departure.
First Lady Melania Trump, seen here on Friday, is leaving her mark on the White House’s grounds
Her office says she’ll be planting a sapling from the Eisenhower Oak tree that’s near the Kennedy Garden on Monday on the South Lawn
They left the White House on Friday afternoon for Joint Base Andrews together, where they promptly took off for Ohio in Air Force One
The president and first lady put on a united front on Friday afternoon, however, as the set off for Ohio, just as more trouble was brewing for Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels dust-up
On Friday afternoon, the first lady, who was clad in a white skirt, white Michael Kors jacket and black blouse with white polka dots, was making her way to Ohio for a Republican Party dinner with her husband
A statement on the ceremony said that it would be attended by presidential descendants, including Mary Jean Eisenhower, the granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Also attending is Richard Emory Gatchell, Jr., who the White House described as a fifth generation grandson of James Monroe.
‘Presidents and first ladies have historically planted trees on the White House grounds. This particular tree comes from the original Eisenhower Oak located near the Kennedy Garden,’ read the statement from the first lady’s office.
‘The sapling will replace a tree that was excavated from the grounds earlier this year. Mrs. Trump will be planting it in conjunction with the White House Historical Association’s Presidential Sites Summit.’
President Dwight Eisenhower tosses dirt around the roots of a 10-foot red oak tree at a planting ceremony on the White House ground on Oct. 13, 1959 in Washington. The tree was the gift of the Republican National Committee
The notice made no mention of President Trump, from whom she has increasingly shown her independence in recent months. Earlier this week, she delivered remarks at an anti-cyber bullying event in promotion of her campaign ‘Be Best.’
She also announced plans to take a solo tour of Africa.
The president and first lady put on a united front on Friday afternoon, however, as the set off for Ohio, just as more trouble was brewing for Donald Trump in the latest Stormy Daniels dust-up.
They left the White House on Friday afternoon for Joint Base Andrews together, where they promptly took off for Ohio in Air Force One.
Often, they spend the weekend at the president’s golf property in Bedminister, New Jersey, but on Friday there were returning directly to Washington.
She and President Trump were also visiting a children’s hospital in Columbus
The White House did not have additional details on Friday about the first lady’s tree planting project.
It was due to be her second major change to the South Lawn, since December when workers began removed part of the Jackson Magnolia. Melania ordered the excavation of the hollowed out tree after experts deemed it a ‘hazard.’ Its position faces the president’s helicopter landing pad.
Specialists from the United States National Arboretum assessed the tree, according to documents obtained by CNN. The first lady concurred with experts that the tree had become dangerous, a spokeswoman for Melania said.
The tree was due for removal, but was ultimately left in place after the particularly dangerous parts were cut out.
Andrew Jackson is believed to have planted the tree that has appeared prominently in the background of White House events for more than a century in 1828 in honor of his deceased wife.
The historic tree reached from the ground floor of the White House past the second-level executive residence before workers in December cut away at its branches.
Melania ordered the excavation of the Jackson Magnolia at the end of last year after experts deemed it a ‘hazard.’ Its position faces the president’s helicopter landing pad
A portion of the tree remains in the same place. The tree Melania is replacing is a different one
Pictured: Gerald Ford golfing in front of the Jackson Magnolia that’s been a fixture of the White House for more than a century
Melania directed workers to preserve wood from the tree as they chopped it down.
‘Mrs. Trump personally reviewed the reports from the United States National Arboretum and spoke at length with her staff about exploring every option before making the decision to remove a portion of the Magnolia tree,’ the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, told CNN at the time.
‘After reviewing the reports, she trusted that every effort had been made to preserve the historic tree and was concerned about the safety of visitors and members of the press who are often standing right in front of the tree during Marine One lifts.’
The document reviewing the tree’s history and upkeep determined that damage sustained over the last five decades was putting too much of a strain on the Jackson Magnolia.
It said in part: ‘The overall architecture and structure of the tree is greatly compromised and the tree is completely dependent on the artificial support.’
‘Without the extensive cabling system, the tree would have fallen years ago. Presently, and very concerning, the cabling system is failing on the east trunk, as a cable has pulled through the very thin layer of wood that remains. It is difficult to predict when and how many more will fail,’ the document said.
The review revealed that the tree had damage going back as far as 50 years, when three ‘leaders’, or trunks, emerged from its base creating a mess of tangles.
Around 1970, one of the leaders broke off from the main trunk and was removed, but it left the tree vulnerable to decay. The hole was filled with cement, an action that did irreversible damage to the tree.
In 1981 the cement was removed and instead replaced with the current wire and pole system. However, National Arboretum experts agreed that the support is no longer sustainable.
White House groundskeepers were prepared for the downfall of the tree, CNN reported. Healthy offshoots of the tree had been growing at an undisclosed greenhouse and in December were between eight and ten feet tall.
Andrew Jackson is believed to have planted the tree in 1828 in memory of his wife Rachel, who passed away days after his grueling election.
Jackson is said to have insisted on planting a seed from Rachel’s favorite magnolia tree from the couple’s farm in Tennessee.
The Jackson Magnolia has appeared in the background of numerous historical events at the White House and was featured on the $20 bill from 1928 to 1998.
Laura Bush commissioned a set of White House china inspired by the tree called ‘The Magnolia Residence China.’
In 2016 Michelle Obama gave a seedling from the tree to the people of Cuba. The tree was planted during her and her husband’s visit there.