President Donald Trump replaced a chopped-down 200-year-old tree on the South Lawn of the White House with a sapling he dubbed a "MAGAnolia" after his "Make America Great Again" supporters.
The centuries-old “Jackson Magnolia” that had occupied a spot shading the South Portico of the White House was planted by President Andrew Jackson to honor his late wife, Rachel, who died just before he was sworn in as president in 1829, according to the National Park Service.
It was chopped down due to safety concerns. It had far outlived the typical lifespan of the tree. It was also damaged in 1994 when a small Cessna plane crashed onto the South Lawn and skidded into the White House, killing the pilot.
"Despite ongoing preservation efforts, the ‘Jackson Magnolia’ tree has reached the end of its lifespan and must be removed due to safety concerns," the park service said in a joint statement with the White House.
The tree was the oldest on the White House grounds, according to parks officials.
The 12-year-old sapling that replaced it is a descendant of the original tree.
The White House posted a video of the planting of the “MAGAnolia” Tuesday featuring Trump taking a stab at digging with a golden shovel and posing with the White House gardener.
"The bad news is that everything must come to an end," Trump wrote on Truth Social last month when he announced the old tree would be chopped down. He said the magnolia was "in terrible condition, a very dangerous safety hazard, at the White House Entrance, no less, and must now be removed."
