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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has removed a withered and irrecoverable Old and Valuable Tree (OVT) in Hong Kong Park today (June 17).
The tree was listed as LCSD CW/113 on the Register of OVTs. It was a four-metre Ziziphus jujuba located on the lawn near the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong Park.
The tree was transplanted to Hong Kong Park in 2003 from Henan Province, the Mainland as part of a donation scheme. Since then, the department had been carefully maintaining the tree and closely monitoring its conditions.
An LCSD spokesman said during an inspection in early September last year, the tree was found to have abnormal defoliation and its bark was peeling off.
"A series of remedial measures including trimming of dead branches and application of fungicide and insecticide were undertaken immediately. However, the condition of the tree showed no signs of improvement. It shed its leaves earlier than in previous years and its branches became withered after the dormancy stage in winter.
"As of late April this year when the weather became warmer, there were still no new leaves on the trunk and branches, indicating that the tree had withered. Two further inspections in May confirmed that the tree was dead. After consulting the Tree Management Office of the Development Bureau, we decided to remove the tree."
Another Ziziphus jujuba, listed as LCSD CW/112 on the Register of OVTs, was also transplanted to the park from Henan Province in 2003 through the same donation scheme. This tree's health remains stable at the moment. The department will continue to monitor its condition closely and undertake maintenance work as required.
The spokesman reiterated that the department would continue to adopt a prudent approach in managing trees under its care. For trees in poor condition, removal will be the last resort, and only when there are no other viable options.
Ends/Friday, June 17, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:50
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