Beautiful 117-year-old elm tree survives local disasters
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A local American Elm that was planted in 1907 in Monument Valley Park received special treatment on Friday, Jan. 26. The Colorado Springs Horticultural Art Society teamed up with SavATree to make sure the tree is healthy.
The elm is located in the Heritage Garden and is as old as Monument Valley Park itself. It was planted in front of the historic Van Briggle Pottery building, in the southern part of the park, and it has grown a lot since 1907.
This elm is a survivor. In the 1935 Memorial Day Flood, Monument Creek flooded, uprooting many trees, destroying over 70 homes, and killing 6 people. Also, beginning in 1930, a Dutch elm disease killed most of the elms in the United States. The tree lived through both disasters, earning it a place on Colorado’s “Notable Trees” list.
According to the Horticultural Art Society of Colorado Springs, the elm was last officially measured in 2007. At that time, it was 50 feet tall and its trunk measured a diameter of 49 inches.
SavATree visited the notable American Elm from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Jan. 26. They pruned it, and practiced an aerial rescue. The entire SavATree team was present for the event, despite the snowy conditions.
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