‘End of the line.’ 100-year-old oak to come down in downtown Raleigh’s Nash Square

One of the largest oaks in the ‘City of Oaks’ is coming down.

The city of Raleigh will cut down the nearly 80-foot white oak, estimated to be about 100 years old, on the southeast corner of Nash Square downtown. It will likely come down next week, depending on the weather.

A nearly eight-foot crack juts down the trunk of the tree, several inches wide, likely caused by water that froze and expanded.

The crack isn’t new, and the city has been monitoring it for the last decade. The city cut branches and added bracing bolts to try to help the tree’s “natural healing process” correct the crack, said Zach Manor, an urban forester with the city.

“The tree had come to the point where the city felt from a health and safety standpoint that was the end of the line for this one,” he said. “We did what we could. It’s a beautiful tree.”

Willow oak became art

This is the second large oak to come down in recent years in Nash Square, which is bordered by Dawson, Hargett, McDowell and Martin streets.

A 90-foot willow oak was cut down in 2019, due to old age and disease. A lucky few were able to grab pieces from the tree contractor to turn into artwork, furniture and crafts.

The city commissioned artist Corey Lancaster to sculpt a large wooden squirrel, called Berkeley, from the oak that now also sits in Nash Square near the entrance to the Raleigh Municipal Building.

Whether that happens again will depend on the city’s contractor, Manor said. Several people have already inquired about obtaining some of the wood.

The city’s arts and cultural staff are looking into local artists who may be able to use the wood, but the large crack could make it difficult for a large-scale piece.

Raleigh manages about 100,000 street trees and millions of trees along its parks and greenways. A tree-canopy report last year showed 48.2% of land in the city is covered by trunks, branches and leaves as seen from above.

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