Jackson Magnolia

The Jackson Magnolia was a southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) tree that was near the curved portico of the White House.[1] The tree was planted in honor of Rachel Jackson, and the Jackson Magnolia was designated a Witness Tree by the National Park Service. A large section of the Jackson Magnolia was removed in 2017 and the whole tree was removed in 2025 due to safety concerns.

History

According to the National Park Service, folklore mentioned that the seeds for the Jackson Magnolia were brought to Jackson from the Hermitage. The seeds were planted in honor of Rachel Jackson, who died before Jackson could assume office in 1829. Photographs show that the magnolia tree sprouted in the 1860s.[2]

According to Sarah Kaplan, a writer for the Washington Post, President Herbert Hoover liked to eat breakfast under the tree. From 1928 to 1998, the Jackson Magnolia was on the back of the $20 bill.[3] In 2006, the Jackson Magnolia was designated a Witness Tree by the National Park Service. The base of the Jackson Magnolia was damaged by the 1994 Cessna airplane crash.[2] President Barack Obama planted a tree grown from the seeds of the Jackson Magnolia in Israeli President Shimon Peres's Jerusalem Garden.[4]

The Jackson Magnolia began to rot in the 1940s. In the 1970s, one of the tree's main limbs was removed and the cap was filled with concrete. First Lady Melania Trump approved the removal of a section of the Jackson Magnolia in 2017, citing concerns about the safety of guests and journalists who stand under the tree.[5] The decision to remove the section of the Jackson Magnolia was based on a report by the U.S. National Arboretum on the tree's condition.[6][7]

On March 30, 2025, President Donald Trump called the Jackson Magnolia a "safety hazard" on Truth Social.[8] The White House announced that the tree was removed on April 7, 2025.[9] The Jackson Magnolia was replaced with a 12-year-old sapling that is a direct descendant of the Jackson Magnolia. The White House did not allow news media to video the tree planting, but President Trump shared a video clip of White House groundskeeper Dale Haney and himself planting the tree.[8]

References

  1. ^ "White House to cut down tree thought to be planted by Andrew Jackson". The Guardian. March 31, 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Jackson Magnolia - The White House and President's Park (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  3. ^ Katz, Brigit. "White House Magnolia Tree Planted by Andrew Jackson Will Be Cut Down". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  4. ^ Ninan, Reena. "Tree Obama Planted in Jerusalem May Be Uprooted for Inspection". ABC News. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  5. ^ Wamsley, Laurel (December 28, 2017). "Portions Of Ailing White House Magnolia Removed Over Safety Concerns". NPR. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  6. ^ "Steal magnolias: Part of White House tree to be removed". NBC News. December 26, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  7. ^ "Part of weakened White House magnolia tree to be removed". FOX 5 DC. December 26, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  8. ^ a b "Trump helps plant replacement for a historic White House tree that was removed over safety concerns". AP News. April 8, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  9. ^ Núñez, Linda (April 8, 2025). "'Jackson Magnolia' at the White House to be replaced with a descendant sapling". South Carolina Public Radio. Retrieved April 1, 2026.

38°53′51″N 77°2′12″W / 38.89750°N 77.03667°W / 38.89750; -77.03667

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