With 1,700 trees in the three parks, tree removals are a regular and healthy part of the parks care cycle. Fourteen trees are currently being removed from Boston Common. Tree removal happens for a variety of reasons – because a tree is a public safety hazard, is experiencing disease pressure and is unresponsive to treatment, or it is at the end of its lifespan and its health is in decline.
We are sad to say goodbye, but look forward to welcoming new residents very soon. There will be 16 new trees, each specifically chosen for their location, planted in the spring using funds from the Boston Common Maintenance Trust Fund and generous Arbor Day donations.
Our consulting arborist, Norm Helie, is a leading expert in Dutch Elm Disease; his research guides our work in the parks and serves as a resource for the preservation of elm trees across the nation. Recently, he confirmed that an English Elm on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall had succumbed to Dutch Elm disease. The tree has been girdled to create a trap that will attract Elm Bark Beetles to this spot and away from our healthy elm trees. The tree will remain until winter when it and the beetle larvae will be removed and destroyed. The Friends has worked for decades to combat Dutch Elm disease in our three parks. Our investment in the care and upkeep of all the trees is essential to help ensure the three parks are healthy, safe, and sustainable.