Tudor Place Needs Money to Fix Damaged Trees

After a destructive derecho swept through the metro region on June 29, the dand the trees at were no exception.

The historic house site has set up a fund to help offset the costs of repairing some of the damage.

In an email to Patch, Suzanne Bouchard, director of gardens and grounds at Tudor Place, explained the extent of the damage:

Several of our trees were impacted all over the site, 10 of which require professional work to remove hanging branches and broken limbs including one of our mature tulip poplars located on the corner of Q Street and 31st Street which lost its center crown. All of our trees can be saved except one Black locust located on the 32nd Street perimeter which had begun to show signs of heaving after the storm. Heaving is when the soil around a tree begins to mound and crack which is usually an early sign before a tree uproots itself. A mature Black Walnut located behind the administration building lost over half of its canopy while a young American Beech in our woodland area suffered five broken limbs when a large limb from a tulip poplar fell on it. Both can be saved but will not look their best for awhile.

No money for the fund has been raised yet, but repairs need to move forward quickly for the safety of visitors and prevent further damage, Bouchard wrote.

"It is important to remove hanging branches and debris as soon as possible mainly for visitor safety. Another storm or windy day can bring down broken limbs if not removed which could cause further damage or injury," she said. "Pruning broken limb stubs is necessary to encourage wound closures and reduce the surface area available for potential pests to enter a tree."

To donate to the Tudor Place Emergency Tree Fund, fill out this online form.