Horse chestnut tree on Purdue campus

This is the horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) that stood on the Purdue campus for many years. Recently this tree was cut down. It had unusual overhanging branches that stretched out over the ground. The increasing weight of these branches was causing the branches to break away from the trunk of the tree. About a week before the first two pictures were taken, one of the overhanging branches was removed. A few days later a second branch was removed. The second picture shows how the branches had been pulling away from the tree, exposing the wood to rot. The third overhanging branch seemed to be sound and didn't have the same structural problems These first two pictures were taken June 29, 2009. I thought they were going to leave the tree alone at this point but Wednesday morning July 1 the entire tree was cut down, the stump taken out and the ground resodded.


This third picture was taken July 8, 2009, it shows the same view as before but without the horse chestnut tree.

This picture was taken July 3, 2009, the concrete slab in front once had one of those dog statues that they have set up at different places around Lafayette. The former site of the tree is in the background. Both victims of vandalism.

Link to horse chestnut:

Link to past view of this tree:

This horse chestnut tree is #19 on the Purdue tree trail (Blue).
Link to Purdue tree trail: