The First Lady has ordered the removal of the historic Jackson Magnolia, a tree that Andrew Jackson planted at the White House in 1828.
The White House brought in specialists from the United States National Arboretum to assess the tree, according to documents obtained by CNN.
The iconic tree reaches from the ground floor of the White House past the second-level executive residence.
The First Lady has ordered the removal of the historic Jackson Magnolia, a tree that Andrew Jackson planted at the White House in 1828
The First Lady ordered the removal after reading a report saying the tree is too damaged to be saved. Pictured: Gerald Ford golfing in front of the tree
Melania Trump made the decision to remove the tree after reviewing both historical documents and the report made by the specialists. It will be cut down later this week.
The documents read 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.’
Former President Andrew Jackson planted the tree in 1928, after his wife Rachel passed away days after the election
The documents 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. Pictured: An Easter Egg Roll at the White House in 1944
The documents 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, a move that ended up doing irreversible damage to the tree.
By 1981 the cement was removed and instead replaced with the current wire and pole system. However, the Arboretum experts agree that the support system is no longer sustainable.
Thankfully, White House groundskeepers were prepared for the downfall of the tree. Healthy offshoots of the tree have been growing at greenhouses and are now between eight and ten feet tall.
White House groundskeepers were prepared for the downfall of the tree. Healthy offshoots of the tree have been growing at greenhouses and are now between eight and ten feet tall. Pictured: The Ford family
The official Jackson Magnolia has appeared in the background for numerous historical events, and was featured on the $20 bill from 1928 to 1998
Another Jackson Magnolia, grown from an offshoot of the original, will be planted in its place.
Former President Andrew Jackson planted the tree in 1928, after his wife Rachel passed away days after the election.
It is believed that Jackson insisted on planting a seed from Rachel’s favorite magnolia tree from the couple’s farm in Tennessee.
The official Jackson Magnolia has appeared in the background for numerous historical events, 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 as a gift to the people of Cuba.