First Lady Melania Trump is getting rid of a dangerous and historic tree on the White House grounds before tragedy strikes. There is an old Jackson Magnolia tree that has grown on the south facade of the White House since the 1800s, but the status of the tree has been deemed too dangerous to allow it to stand. As reported by CNN , the tree could be dangerous if left alone, and Melania has ordered the tree cut down and removed this week from the grounds of the White House.
The Jackson Magnolia tree is huge and the oldest magnolia tree on the grounds of the White House, but its time has come and gone to remain in its stately position, growing taller than the State Dining Room’s first-floor windows and looming over the second story of the White House’s executive residence. In spite of the history of the tree, it is now too decayed and damaged to be allowed to stand any longer in its current location, according to experts at the United States National Arboretum.
Specifically named the “Magnolia grandiflora,” the tree has experienced attempts to have it salvaged over the past 30 years, with the tree being supported completely by artificial structures. If the tree didn’t have cables supporting it, the grand magnolia tree would have fallen years ago. As such, no one can predict when the tree might collapse, and preemptive measures to have the tree cut down and removed are in place.
Melania Trump orders removal of the near-200-year-old tree from the White House https://t.co/mkntr7Ytlf pic.twitter.com/Ck8Vj7VXgB
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 26, 2017
The final decision on whether or not to remove the dangerous tree fell on Melania’s shoulders, with the first lady deciding to have it removed for good after reading all of the professional recommendations and history of the Jackson Magnolia tree. The tree was so popular that it was once featured on the back of $20 bills from the period of 1928 to 1998. Former First Lady Michelle Obama even had a seedling from the tree delivered to the United States Department of Agriculture in 2009 to grow in their garden.
As seen in the above photo from 2011, Melania celebrated the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting party with her husband. However, the tree that Melania is having cut down began experiencing problems 50 years ago, when “leaders” from the tree’s base got all tangled up. Inside, the tree is almost completely hollow.
