Crews with the City of Wilmington are in the process of removing several diseased trees along Market Street, between 12th and 21st streets. The trees were found to be at an unacceptable risk level, mostly due heart rot, and must be removed for safety reasons. The removed tress will all be replanted.
Eighteen trees have been identified for removal with two needing further inspection. All but one of the trees are laurel oaks with trunk diameters of 13"-55". These trees all suffer from heart rot caused by multiple fungi species and cannot be treated. Laurel oaks are plagued by this condition, which is talked about extensively in the city's newly-adopted Urban Forest Master Plan. Laurel oaks have a typical lifespan of approximately 80 years with heart rot usually setting in at year 50. This tree species makes up about 14% of the city's total tree canopy.
Removal of the trees is actively taking place on Market Street, between 12th Street and 21st Street, by the city's in-house crews and supplemented by outside contractors as needed. Once the trees are removed, the stumps will be grounded out. This section of Market Street will be closed during the work, which should wrap by the end of June. Detours are currently in place.
The city will replant each tree removed in 2024, with a focus on large-maturing tree species such as live oaks.
More details about the trees and the removal process can be found below:
Aaron ReeseCity Arborist910.341.0078 Email
City Council Presentation
Staff Report(PDF, 7MB)