After extensive care trying to save the original Magnolia Oak, it was replaced by another live oak Wednesday, July 8.
Ben Burmester, design project lead in Facilities Management for the Toomer's Corner project, said the transplant ran smoothly this morning, even with the Corner construction.
Gary Keever, professor of horticulture, said the replacement tree was dug from a nursery in Lake City, Florida, 16 months ago.
"The construction actually helped us," Keever said. "Otherwise we would've had to close Magnolia Avenue for sure, and it worked out extremely well. We worked with the contractors, we worked with the city to have access to Magnolia Avenue, and I don't think it could have gone any smoother."
Keever said that time period allowed it to grow and develop roots that were captured when it was brought out of the ground earlier this week.
"What I was most impressed with when the tree was unveiled was the amount of root systems that's already there," Keever said.
In comparison, he said the College Street Oak was dug two months before it was planted.
"This tree is going to establish quicker, probably than (College Street Oak)," Keever said.
Martha Koontz, communications and marketing specialist for Facilities Management, said the university is excited for the fall as Corner construction and Samford Park construction will be completed.
"As far as our new tree goes, we're still holding to the rolling of 2016, we haven't moved that date back at this time, but we will watch the progress of the tree and make a determination later if that date needs to be moved back," Koontz said.
According to Burmester the original Magnolia Oak planted in February never leafed out and had been monitored for months.
One month ago, Burmester said the university decided to replace the tree.
The Magnolia Oak had been watered and looked after in the past months, since the original plan was to move and replant it to see if it could survive somewhere else.
However, the oak continued to decline and the decision was made they would not transplant it to another location, according to Burmester.
"We coordinated a lot of that with a lot of our academic folks on campus, the tree preservation committee specifically, and made the decision," Burmester said.
With the original project, Burmester said he thinks they have provided a good place for a live oak to thrive.
According to Burmester, they tested the soil for poison when the oak started declining months ago, and it came back negative.
He also said a specific soil mix, a drip irrigation system and Silva Cells, which help tree growth in urban areas, will be in place to ensure the viability of the new oak.
Keever said Silva Cells are 4-inch-long, 2-inch-wide and 12-inch high boxes filled with top soil underground extending underneath the sidewalk and out toward the intersection.
"It allows the roots to infiltrate that soil, so they've got a larger volume of soil to grow in, but they're structurally sound so the sidewalk would still support whatever weight that was applied," Keever said.
Keever also said this was an ideal time to move the new oak because the foliage has matured.
"It's like you're taking a nap, you run, run, run all day, and then you take a nap and you recover and so it's a perfect time to remove that one," Keever said. "(The South College Oak) is behind that, that foliage is less mature, the leaves aren't as large, and it indicates that the tree is still stressed from being dug and transplanted. It's doing amazingly well, to have a canopy that dense."
Keever said since February he has had calls from people concerned about the well-being of the Magnolia Oak.
"I think that the Auburn community is going to adopt this tree very quickly, and it's going to become part of the Auburn Family," Keever said.
Burmester said Landscape Services will monitor the new oak and water it as needed.
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