After two seasons, Scripps’ 18 paired Princeton elms, planted last summer to replace the dying 70-year-old trees on Elm Tree Lawn, are thriving in their new location, according to Lola Trafecanty, director of grounds.
While the trees have been bare of leaves since late December, Trafecanty expects the 28-foot-tall saplings to begin sprouting new growth in March and expand their canopy. The College anticipates holding Commencement exercises on the new Elm Tree Lawn this coming May.
The Scripps community will have a poignant reminder of the original elms at Commencement, as a new podium and diploma table made out of the “best of the old wood” make their debut. Kirk Delman, registrar and curator at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, is currently crafting these two pieces. The ad hoc Elm Tree Lawn committee, consisting of students, faculty, staff, and alumnae, approved the designs last fall.
The replacement of the elms concluded a long, agonizing process by the College to determine the fate of the original elms, planted in 1938. For decades, Elm Tree Lawn has been a favorite place for special College events, for reading and reflection, and for outdoor classes on balmy spring days. With its lush canopy of elms forming an allée between Balch Auditorium and Revelle House, it has been a signature place of beauty for a campus known for exquisite architecture and landscape.
But the original elms were severely topped in the 1960s, making them more susceptible to disease. In the late 1990s, several were removed for safety reasons, and others showed signs of developing decay. In 2004, the College decided to closely monitor the remaining trees and, meanwhile, make plans for a complete renewal.
After seeking advice from several tree experts, Trafecanty determined that Princeton elms (Ulmus Americana) from the East Coast would be the best replacements: they are hearty and disease resistant and should eventually mirror the original elms in height and fullness. The College purchased 24 trees (six extra for insurance and future needs) from Georgia and had them shipped to Valley Crest Tree Company, in Sunol, Calif. There, they were nurtured until last summer, when Trafecanty deemed them ready to be transported to Scripps.
Before the trees were planted, the College used the renewal as an opportunity to further safety efforts by installing underground electrical lines and circuits and a drainage system for the new Elm Tree Lawn.