Though Boston is home to hundreds of Dutch Elm trees, few hardwoods are as old as the one on Warren Avenue Located in near the intersection of Warren and Dartmouth Street, the sprawling tree which witnessed the end of World War II, JFK’s inauguration, and the fall of the Berlin Wall, is still in good condition, with bright leaves and branches that reach for the sun.
Local neighbor, and admirer of the elm, Victor D'Ambrosio is trying to keep it that way.
D’Ambrosio,
who lives with his husband, is trying to obtain ongoing nutritional
treatments for the elm. Over the last month, he's partnered with the
Ellis Neighborhood Association (ESENA) to raise funds for the tree’s
care.
“[The elm]
stands right outside our windows,” D’Ambrosio said. “I was struck by the
fact that it has lived for so long. In my experience, trees of this
size are rare on Boston streets. It’s still healthy, but now it needs a
little help from the neighborhood to keep it going strong.”
In
the United States, Dutch Elms are at are risk of developing Dutch Elm
Disease, a fast-spreading fungus that is spread by elm bark beetles. The
fungi spreads to the tree’s vascular system, which in turn blocks its
water transport, eventually leading to death. Since its discovery in
North America in 1928, the Disease has killed over 100 million Elms.
The
South End elm, which previously suffered from the disease though has
since recovered, would receive two to three treatments each year, along
with a preventative Dutch Elm disease treatment every three years.
Although the tree is legally on city property, the city reportedly does
not have the appropriate funds for the tree’s upkeeping.
In
recent years, it’s been tough to be a mature tree in Boston. In 2020,
the city planned to cut down several mature trees that grew along Melnea
Cass. Nearly two years later, 54 Roxbury trees, many of which were over
a century old, were at risk of removal during a park’s renovation.
Though neither of the proposals were successful, the threats still loom.
“It’s a living part of the history of our neighborhood,” D’Ambrosio said.
The elm’s treatments are
expected to cost $2,800 dollars, which would include two nutritional
supplements, along with a Dutch Elm disease prevention service.
