A long time-old weeping willow collapses in Boston Public Backyard

The tree was estimated to be 68 years outdated.

A photograph taken by a bystander capturing the second a big willow tree fell within the Public Backyard.

A large willow tree that had ignored the lagoon within the Boston Public Backyard for greater than 60 years collapsed Wednesday.

The tree, estimated to be 68 years outdated, fell after far exceeding the standard 30-to-50-year lifespan of a white willow. As they age, these fast-growing, “weak-wooded” timber turn into more and more vulnerable to structural failure, Pals of the Public Backyard President Liza Meyer mentioned in an announcement.

“We love these timber too,” Meyer mentioned. “Willows are an iconic and beloved a part of the Public Backyard panorama and we’re at all times saddened when one is misplaced.”

No accidents have been reported, she added.

Routine inspections and maintenance by the Pals of the Public Backyard had beforehand decided the tree “to be structurally sound all through that course of,” Meyer mentioned.

In keeping with the Pals of the Public Backyard web site, willow timber have been first planted within the Backyard within the early 1900s.

Though lots of the backyard’s willows have been planted in the identical period and are ageing on an analogous timeline, Meyers burdened that this doesn’t imply all the remaining timber are in decline or will have to be eliminated.

The current collapse follows the January removing of one other weeping willow that was affected by rot and illness, posing a public security hazard because of inside decay. In keeping with the Pals of the Public Backyard, tree removals are performed each winter, with replanting efforts sometimes occurring within the spring.

The Pals of the Public Backyard has not clarified whether or not the willow that fell on Wednesday had been examined for illnesses.

“Wednesday’s fallen willow is a reminder of why proactive tree care is so necessary,” Meyer mentioned.

Pals of the Public Backyard maintains the timber with common pruning, illness administration, and specialised care.

“Bushes reside organisms, and whereas nobody can eradicate each threat, we will present them with the care and monitoring they should stay as lengthy and safely as attainable,” Meyer mentioned. “Tree care is about managing threat, not eliminating it.”