129-year-old tree marking Queen Victoria’s birthday, dead

No hope for rain tree as experts say it is 95% dead and had to be trimmed down to its stump for safety.

GEORGE TOWN: The iconic 129-year-old South American rain tree greeting visitors at the Penang Botanic Gardens had to be trimmed down to its stump, following an incurable disease.

Gardens’ department director Mohd Azwa Shah Ahmad said the tree had to be heavily pruned for fear that its branches would fall on a jogging path used by some 3,500 people daily.

He said the tree suffered from cankers and its survival rate was very low.

“Earlier this year, an arborist examined the tree and determined that the tree was 95% dead and could not be rescued.

“With a heavy heart, we had to conduct heavy pollarding before it harmed the gardens’ visitors.

“We are looking into ways we can preserve the tree as it is an icon to the gardens,” Azwa said in a press conference today.

The gardens, built in 1884, is touted as the first botanic gardens in the region and one of its kind in Malaysia.

It was established by Christopher Smith, who was trained at the Kew Gardens, London.

The rain tree was planted during Queen Victoria’s birthday celebrations in 1887 at the park’s entrance.

According to Azwa, the tree’s illness was first detected in the first half of last year, when it shed all its leaves.

“The tree showed signs of stress, with small roots appearing at its base.

“The gardens then began treating the tree with soil conditioners in an attempt to encourage growth.”

However, the conditioners did not give the desired results and consultant arborists declared the tree was in its last legs of life, Azwa added.

“Consultant arborists say that because of the tree’s age, it had a low resistance to illness, and extreme weather had made it difficult to survive.

“They also told the gardens’ authorities that the tree had lived long, surpassing its normal lifespan of 80 to 100 years.”

The rain tree, scientifically known as Samanea saman, originates from South American countries with a tropical climate.

Meanwhile, Azwa said the department was mulling several ways to preserve what was left of the tree: to replace the tree with a monument; leave the tree stump minus its branches; or unroot the tree.

“The roots spreads about 30m in radius, it can be used for research.”