Trump Plants Sapling at White House, Replaces Historic Magnolia Tree for Safety/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump will plant a 12-year-old Magnolia sapling Tuesday to replace the nearly 200-year-old Jackson Magnolia tree removed for safety reasons. The original tree, planted during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, had deteriorated significantly. The sapling is a direct descendant, grown by the National Park Service.
White House Tree Replacement Ceremony: Quick Looks
- Trump to help plant Magnolia sapling on South Lawn
- Replaces 200-year-old Jackson Magnolia removed for safety
- Arborist report cited structural failure risks
- Tree stood near the South Portico since early 1800s
- Sapling is a direct descendant, grown by National Park Service
- Removal decision involved multiple agencies and White House officials
- Wood from the original tree to be preserved or repurposed
- Tree removal follows past damage from 1994 plane crash
- Similar sapling planted by Bidens in 2022
- Trump calls the wood fit for “high and noble purposes”
Trump Plants Sapling at White House, Replaces Historic Magnolia Tree for Safety
Deep Look
Trump to Help Replace Historic Magnolia Tree at the White House
President Donald Trump will help plant a new Magnolia tree on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, symbolically replacing the historic Jackson Magnolia that had stood for nearly two centuries before being removed due to structural instability and safety concerns.
The tree, which was famously planted during President Andrew Jackson’s administration, had long graced the entrance near the South Portico — a high-profile spot where presidents often welcome foreign leaders and board Marine One.
Why the Tree Was Removed
In a post on his Truth Social platform on March 30, Trump announced that the Jackson Magnolia was in “terrible condition” and a “very dangerous safety hazard.” The tree, a southern magnolia, had suffered extensive damage over the years and was previously trimmed back significantly in 2017 during Trump’s first term.
A professional assessment by consulting arborist Peter Hart determined the tree had reached the end of its structural viability. The White House cited Hart’s recommendation that the tree should be removed immediately due to “the risk of personal injury and/or property damage.”
Contrary to earlier reports, the review was conducted by Hart individually, not the American Society of Consulting Arborists as a whole.
The decision to cut down the tree was made in consultation with multiple stakeholders, including the U.S. Secret Service, National Park Service, the offices of the president and first lady, and the White House grounds superintendent.
A Living Legacy
The sapling that Trump will plant is a 12-year-old descendant of the Jackson Magnolia, grown specifically to replace the historic tree at the National Park Service’s offsite greenhouse.
The White House grounds are maintained by the National Park Service, which also plans to preserve a portion of the original tree for archival purposes.
The rest of the wood, according to Trump, “may be used for other high and noble purposes!!!!”
The Jackson Magnolia had become part of White House lore, with folklore attributing its planting to seeds Jackson brought from his Tennessee home in memory of his wife, Rachel, who died shortly before his inauguration in 1829.
Echoes of the Past and Present
The tree has been through decades of natural wear and tear, but it was also damaged in 1994 when a small Cessna aircraft crashed onto the South Lawn and collided with the tree.
More recently, in 2022, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden planted another Magnolia sapling nearby. That tree was also a descendant of Jackson’s original Magnolia and was part of a larger effort to preserve presidential history on the White House grounds.
While Tuesday’s event will be ceremonial, it marks the continuation of a deeply rooted tradition that spans presidencies, with each leader leaving a physical and symbolic imprint on the historic property.
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