On April 10, 2024, Facilities Services and arborists from Greer Brand Industries Inc. collaborated on a project to remove a large windmill palm tree from the CEOAS Admin Building area and replant it outside of Centro Cultural César Chávez.
The tree’s original location lies within the future footprint of the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex. The only two options available were to remove the tree entirely or transplant it somewhere else on campus.
A few months ago, staff with the Landscape Shop began discussing how they could save the approximately 30 year old, 28 foot tall tree.
“We knew we wanted to preserve it,” said Chris Trine, grounds maintenance worker with Facilities Services. “We didn’t want to see it go.”
Facilities Services enlisted the help of an arborist team from Greer Brand Industries. Roger Greer is an OSU alum and was eager to take the project on. The tree was carefully removed using a large, truck-mounted tree spade and then transported down SW 26th St. The tree was then replanted outside Centro Cultural César Chávez.
Trine said the new location was chosen due to there already being several related palm varieties nearby, including sawtooth palmettos and two other windmill palms.
The windmill palm is known for being one of only a few palm trees that can thrive in Oregon’s cool climate. Several seedlings from the newly moved tree have been planted at Magruder Hall and Austin Hall in previous years.
