Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn President Bill Clendaniel Retires | Page 8

A Somewhat Magical Happening:

The Prince of Wales Beech “Returns”
By Dennis Collins, Horticultural Curator
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Mount Auburn Cemete ry he ld a special tre e
planting ceremony on May 3 to commemorate the loss of
one of its most famous trees, the Prince of Wales Beech.
That venerable tree—planted in 1860 by the then Prince
of Wales, who went on to become Britain’s King Edward
VII—was more than 150 years old. Unfortunately, weak-
ened by Beech Tree Decline (photo 1), it was found to be
a hazard to public safety and was taken down in March
(photos 2-4).
The tree installed in its place, a product of the somewhat
magical practice of horticultural grafting, is a scion, a cutting
from the original tree that is now 15 feet tall. Knowing
that the tree might ultimately have to be removed, the
horticulture staff took cuttings from it in 1993 and Weston
Nurseries in Hopkington, MA, grafted these onto several
young root stocks. Only one scion survived, that which was
planted in May (photo 6).
The Prince of Wales Beech was the focus of a major
preservation initiative in 1996, which included removing
a paved road several feet away from the trunk to reduce
pressure on the roots. The lawn adjoining the tree was re-
placed by shrubs and herbaceous groundcovers, which are
less competitive during droughts. The soil around the tree
was enriched with emulsified seaweed, and gravel aeration
channels were installed to alleviate compacted soil conditions.
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