Political tree hidden away

An American elm tree given to the city of Spokane in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush might as well be hiding in a shoebox somewhere.

The unmarked tree bends wildly against a crowded canopy in Finch Arboretum, showing no hint of its historical pedigree.

Local leaders better hope that current President Bush doesn’t ask to see what became of his father’s gift when he arrives in the Lilac City as planned on Thursday.

The tree is lopsided and virtually indistinguishable from the maples growing above and along two sides of it. It clearly doesn’t have enough room to reach its potential height of 75 feet.

The Bush elm was brought to Spokane by the president and planted in a public ceremony witnessed by hundreds in Riverfront Park on Sept. 19, 1989. It had been propagated from an American elm originally planted on the White House lawn in 1826 by President John Quincy Adams.

City parks staffers said it needs to be moved soon if it is to ever grow into the graceful specimen it was intended to be, and it probably will need corrective pruning to get it to once again grow upright.

When asked about the state of Spokane’s presidential tree, gardener Sally Sullivan at the arboretum said, “I’ll get a work order in to our arborist” to move the tree.

For 15 years, it has had routine care, a far cry from the fanfare that came with its arrival. The younger Bush will be the first president to visit downtown Spokane since his father’s tree-planting trip here.

Back in 1989, former U.S. Rep. Tom Foley, D-Spokane, had risen to become speaker of the House. Bush was midway through his first year as president.

The president spent part of his morning jogging on the Centennial Trail. Later, Bush and Foley planted the tree during a ceremony just north of the Opera House. The planting was tied to Bush’s twin messages of environmental awareness and political cooperation.

Shortly after the president’s visit, the sapling elm was badly vandalized. Some parks officials feared the act was politically motivated.

They placed splints on partly broken limbs, and then scooped up the tree for removal to a safe hiding place. The tree was replanted in an out-of-the-way corner of the arboretum among a collection of dogwoods. There are no signs or plaques denoting its historical significance.

It can be found growing along the gravel road to the Corey Glen parking area adjacent to Interstate 90. Only Sullivan and a small number of others know it’s there.

Aside from being crowded, the tree shows a large gash at its base, apparently the result of the vandalism in 1989. The main leader and limbs arch strongly to the southeast in an effort to gain light. The elm appears otherwise healthy.

This spring, it sports broad layers of deep green leaves on multiple branches. There are no signs of Dutch elm disease, an insect-borne fungus that has killed American elms across the United States and in Spokane.

“I think it looks pretty good,” Sullivan said.

Taylor Bressler, park maintenance manager, said he fears the tree would be vandalized again if its location were publicized, especially it if were returned to Riverfront Park and given a prominent location and plaque.

“Sure as heck, someone would come down and chop it,” Bressler said.

In a 1990 interview, Bressler said he intended to have the elm moved to a more public place once it recovered from the vandal damage.

This week, he said another location in Finch Arboretum might be more appropriate.

The city’s urban forester, Jim Flott, could not be reached for comment last week, but only recently learned of the tree’s existence, Sullivan said. Flott apparently will have a say on what, if anything, will be done with the tree.

“I’ll defer to my urban forestry guy,” Bressler said.

Maybe they could consult the president.