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Workmen cut the tree down |
Bean tree is now gone tree after 150 years
AN Indian bean tree that stood in the front quad of the University
College London for 150 years was axed on Tuesday.
Scientists at the university have already earmarked chunks of
the 40-foot tree for experiments and students have asked for
twigs, leaves and branches to be saved as mementos.
The tree was felled after tree surgeons deemed it rotten to
the core and a safety risk to students.
Tony Overbury, of UCL Estates and Facilities oversaw the felling
of the tree. He said: “Two groups of scientists at UCL
have already asked for slices of the trunk to run experiments
on, but we don’t know yet whether the trunk is too rotten
for their purposes. Other members of the UCL community have
requested pieces of the tree to keep as mementos.”
Mr Overbury has ordered a 20-year-old “semi-mature”
Indian bean tree to fill the spot where its predecessor stood.
The replacement is due to be shipped over from Germany in the
summer, but Mr Overbury revealed the hosepipe ban could scupper
the project.
He said: “We’re pretty confident that we should be
able to get the new bean tree to flourish – but with the
hosepipe ban over the summer of 2006, we’re not sure how
we will continue to irrigate the rest of the front quad this
year.” |
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