Trump to Plant New Jackson Magnolia After Iconic White House Tree Removed

President Donald Trump is set to plant a new Jackson Magnolia sapling at the White House, just hours after the historic original tree was cut down due to safety concerns. The sapling, which is 12 years old, was grown with care at the National Park Service Greenhouse as a living link to the past, in anticipation of the parent tree’s removal.

The original "Jackson Magnolia"—which once graced the South Lawn’s west side—was considered one of the oldest and most iconic trees on the entire White House grounds. But after a recent assessment by Peter Hart Consultants LLC, led by a board-certified master arborist, it was determined the old magnolia posed too great a risk of structural failure. The verdict: the tree had "surpassed the time of serving as an aesthetic and historic landmark" and needed to go for everyone’s safety.

Despite a dreary Monday rain, crews armed with chainsaws carefully dismantled the tree in sections, lowering each part with wires. Dale Haney, superintendent of the White House Grounds, admitted, "We have done everything for this tree to keep it up." He recounted how the grounds team had supported the aging magnolia with a metal pole and a web of 50 or 60 ties since the Reagan era, but even the most determined tree TLC couldn’t turn back time.

The National Park Service confirmed that, despite years of preservation attempts, the Jackson Magnolia had reached the end of its natural lifespan—a Southern magnolia typically lives about 100 years—and had to be removed to avoid potential accidents. It’s a little wild to think about how many historic moments probably happened under those branches, but not even a tree with presidential roots is immortal.

The White House grounds, known as the oldest continually maintained landscape in the country, will continue their tradition of commemorative plantings (they have 33 and counting). Experts from the National Park Service, the White House Grounds team, the Office of the Curator, and the First Lady’s office coordinated the process, emphasizing that safety and respect for history were top priorities.

There’s a silver lining: The White House Executive Residence and Curator’s Office will preserve parts of the original magnolia for future saplings, ensuring that the legacy lives on. As a National Park Service spokesperson put it, planting a sapling from the original tree is about "honoring this tree’s history while investing in the future." Some of the wood will even be kept for historical purposes, while the rest goes to the Executive Residence.

President Trump chimed in on Truth Social, highlighting the "tremendous enhancements" being made to the White House and acknowledging the tree’s storied past: "One of the interesting dilemmas is a tree planted many years ago by the Legendary President and General, Andrew Jackson... 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."

The new sapling, rooted in history, will carry the Jackson Magnolia’s spirit forward for future generations to enjoy. It’s a bittersweet farewell—but at least the legacy will keep growing, quite literally.