“As green as Bloomington likes to come off, we really don’t have a lot of large trees,” said Lee Huss, Bloomington’s urban forester. “If you were to ask me, ‘What’s the champion white oak of Bloomington?’ it’s this one.”
The tree is located in Seminary Park. On its left side, a fungal conk, or a giant mushroom, is growing, which is indicative of root decay. After further inspection, it was found two thirds of the tree’s roots are rotting.
“If this tree was in the back woods of Griffy Lake, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Huss said. “Since it’s in a park area that is growing more popular, it really is a safety concern. If it fell it could land in Second Street.”
Huss estimated it will cost about $8,000 to remove the tree.
“We’re sad to see it go,” Huss said. “Trust me, I have limited resources in my budget fighting the emerald ash borer. This is the last thing I want to tackle right now.”
In order to save money and ensure the lumber is not wasted, the city will try to sell rights to the tree so someone else would be able to remove it and use its lumber.
“White oak has always been one of the premier woods,” Huss said. “It’s a valuable commodity because it’s used to make barrels for whiskey.”
Luckily, the tree does have what Huss called a “twin tree” which currently stands in front of the Indiana Memorial Union.
Annie Garau
