The Next Stage of Reviving an Old Tree

We are trying to use the old roots to grow a new tree.

Hurricane Irene took down a lovely old Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) but did not harm the healthy part of the root system. A dozen or more sprouts emerged from the old stump last spring, and in November a forester who advises the Blackstone Parks Conservancy and the city Parks Department singled out the strongest-looking sprout and cut off all the others.* This approach, called coppicing, has been used in Europe for a thousand years to regenerate strong and healthy trees. We hope it will work here to produce a healthy new tree.