Unpopular poplars facing the chop
They’ve sheltered Nelsonians for over 100 years, but age and disease have caught up with a group of heritage trees in the city’s Branford Park. They’ll be removed, but new life is already springing up in their place.
Seven heritage poplar trees in Nelson’s Branford Park face the axe because of extensive decay.
The large, 100-year-old-trees will be removed and six others in the Maitai Valley park will be trimmed after inspections showed they were potentially dangerous. The affected trees have been marked with orange paint.
Nelson City Council group manager community services Roger Ball said an inspection by an arborist showed extensive decay in some of the large trees, ‘‘to the extent that seven will be removed and maintenance work, including trimming limbs, will be done on several others’’.
‘‘The decay is so extensive that it would be dangerous to leave the trees as they are, especially in such a busy and popular reserve.’’
Ball said the work was planned for ‘‘the next month or so’’.
‘‘Poplar trees can be prone to these issues, so the [council] parks team has planned ahead and has been planting replacement trees in this area for the last 15 years. They will have the chance to come into their own once the larger trees are removed.
‘‘Access to this part of the reserve will be restricted while the work is carried out, so please keep out of the area for your own safety.’’
Last month native trees were planted on the banks of the Maitai River near Branford Park as a living memorial to remember those who served in World War I. Around 1300 native trees, including ra¯ ta¯ , totara and cabbage trees, were planted by volunteers. The event was part of a national planting project, Matariki Tu Ra¯ kau, to commemorate the end of the war in 1918.