The National Park Service website states that folklore suggests President Andrew Jackson personally brought the seeds of the tree from his residence close to Nashville, Tennessee.
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that a tree close to two hundred years old will be cut down from the White House grounds due to its declining condition.
Situated near the curved portico on the southern side of the White House, the southern magnolia holds significance as the area where foreign dignitaries are often greeted for formal visits, and where the president bids farewell before boarding the Marine One helicopter.
According to the National Park Service website, “folklore tells us” that President Andrew Jackson brought the tree’s seeds from his home near Nashville, Tennessee. It was apparently planted in honor of his wife Rachel, who died shortly before he took office in 1829.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. “This process will take place next week, and will be replaced by another, very beautiful tree.”
Trump said the wood from the tree “may be used for other high and noble purposes!!!”
The tree was significantly pruned in 2017, during Trump’s first term. It was also damaged in 1994 when a small Cessna plane crashed into the South Lawn and skidded into the White House.
