SAN MARINO : Huntington Replaces Felled Oak With Likely Offspring
Four months after a January storm toppled its landmark 200-year-old oak, the Huntington Library replaced it with a 45-year-old tree believed to be an offspring of the original.
“It’s almost certainly a seedling of the original tree,” said James Folsom, director of the Huntington gardens. “It’s just too similar. If you look at a picture of the other oak you’d say this is a child of that tree.”
Generations of visitors and library workers were fond of the old tree, which shaded many events with its 135-foot canopy.
“I’ve never been depressed about the demise of a plant before, but I was really sad about the oak,” said Ann Richardson, curator of the camellia and Japanese gardens.
The new tree, a 12-ton, 40-foot mesa oak, was grown from a seedling in the Huntington nursery and had stood near the Japanese gardens.
Months of preparation were required before workers moved the tree to a site between the library and the art gallery Wednesday.
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