Select Overgrown Magnolia Trees to be Removed on East Campus

Nearing the end of their expected life cycle, the trees will be replaced by vegetation to create a harmonious landscape

The Wall Center for Student Life.
Some of the overgrown magnolia trees near the Wall Center for Student Life will be removed next week. Photo courtesy of Duke University Marketing & Communications.

To improve walkway visibility and enhance contemporary spaces, select overgrown southern magnolia trees will be removed on East Campus starting this month.

Work will begin next week to remove two southern magnolia trees in front of the Wall Center for Student Life. Later this spring, four additional trees will be removed near Lilly Library and in front of Baldwin Auditorium.

The century-old trees nestled in the core of Duke's campus have thrived amid the hustle and bustle of the urban landscape, but they have now reached the end of their life cycles.

The southern magnolias are significantly larger than what early campus designers initially anticipated, as seen in archived sketches by the original landscape architects showing the planned harmony of trees, viewpoints and integrated architecture. The trees’ current size presents difficulties for proper maintenance as well as walkway visibility. Additionally, vegetation cannot thrive underneath the trees and key architectural features of nearby buildings have become obscured.

This sketch by the original landscape architects of East Campus shows the intended size of the trees in front of the Wall Center for Student Life and Lilly Library. Image courtesy of Duke University Archives.

Duke’s current tree management program is aimed at restoring the original landscape design for East Campus, as conceptualized by James B. Duke and then-Duke President William Preston Few and realized by the Olmsted Brothers firm. Collaborating with landscape architects, Duke and Few aimed for a bold landscape design with seamless spaces that intertwine the buildings with colorful plantings and trees that enhance the architectural features.

“Maintaining healthy trees is our priority, so the decision to remove a living tree is something we don’t take lightly,” said Duke University Landscape Architect Mark Hough. “Before deciding to remove any living tree, we thoroughly evaluate all factors and examine alternatives. Sometimes, the removal of a tree is inevitable — an essential life-cycle component — and part of our tree management program.”

Infrastructure and landscaping efforts currently underway throughout East Campus, together with the Lilly Library expansion and renovation, created an opportune moment to take down these trees and replace them with intentionally selected plantings.

Duke's sustained commitment to thoughtful and purposeful tree management has earned recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation, which has designated Duke as a Tree Campus for 17 consecutive years.

A tree planting event is scheduled for March 28 to celebrate this accomplishment, highlighting the annual partnership between Duke Facilities Management and the Office of Climate and Sustainability. This initiative aims to involve students, staff and faculty in planting the next generation of trees on campus.

“This plan ensures a return to the vision laid out by the Olmsted Brothers for Duke and Few,” said Scott Thompson, Director of Landscape Services. “By applying the knowledge gained from the successful incorporation of historic and contemporary spaces on Abele Quad, we strive to enhance the design of the areas in front of and surrounding the East Campus buildings with complementary greenery, and clear lines of sight.”

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