This past week, an old post oak (Quercus stellata) was removed from the arboretum catalogue. In the spring, it produced clusters of leaves, but overall its limbs were bare throughout the summer. Then, in the early fall, those leaves were quick to turn brown. This post oak was officially marked for removal in November, and then a few short weeks later, bark began popping off the trunk and upper limbs. The Director of Facilities scheduled its removal during winter break, while the campus was relatively quiet. Unfortunately, we were unable to document the process, examine the interior or count the rings.
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| Our tree of interest was located at the southwest corner of Mickle Hall, next to the basement entrance. This photograph was taken July 15, 2021. |
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| The post oak is gone. Since there weren't any surface roots, the ground is markedly flat and there is very little evidence that such a stately specimen stood here. Photograph taken January 6, 2022. |
