03-05-2025
White House replaces 200-year-old 'Jackson Magnolia' with sapling
White House replaces 200-year-old 'Jackson Magnolia' with sapling
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The White House has planted a new sapling to replace an ancient magnolia named for President Andrew Jackson.
The nation's seventh president brought the seeds of a southern magnolia tree from his home near Nashville, Tennessee, to the White House lawn in the early 1800s, according to the National Park Service.
The tree, part of a group of magnolias near the South Portico, was determined to be a safety threat, according to a team of experts. They included master arborists, the National Park Service, the White House Grounds Superintendent, the White House Executive Residence, the Offices of the President and the First Lady, and the Secret Service.
Jackson, whose nickname was Old Hickory was inspired by his tough-as-a-tree demeanor, planted the tree in memory of his wife, Rachel, who died before he took office in 1829, according to the park service.
Nearly 200 years on, President Donald Trump ceremoniously helped plant the 12-year-old magnolia sapling taken as a cutting from the original tree. The sapling was grown offsite at the National Park Service Greenhouse as part of a plan to replace its parent.
"Despite ongoing preservation efforts, the 'Jackson Magnolia' tree has reached the end of its lifespan and must be removed due to safety concerns," the park service said in a joint statement with the White House.
Jackson began his career as a soldier in the Revolution. He later served as a U.S. congressman and senator; a Tennessee State Supreme Court judge, a major general in the Army during the War of 1812 and was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837.
The National Park Service designated Jackson's magnolias as "Witness Trees," for having borne witness to "significant historic and cultural events," according to a park service a Cessna airplane crash, targeting the White House in September 1994, slammed into the base of the trees, damaging them.
The average lifespan of a southern magnolia is 100 years, according to the park service.
'Remnants of the old tree will be preserved by the Office of the Curator and honored by the White House, and this new tree will continue the heritage of the 'Jackson Magnolia' for generations to come," according to the joint statement.
In a social media post, the White House rebranded the new sapling a "MAGAnolia," in a nod to Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.
However, the National Park Service phrased it differently in the joint statement, noting that the sapling "will continue the tradition of honoring this tree's history."
