Bradenton’s, and the nation’s, largest gumbo limbo tree torn down

How do you remove the nation’s largest gumbo limbo tree, its limbs riddled with cracks from Hurricane Irma’s winds, its base weakened from a fungal disease and its last years having been held together by wires?

Carefully, very carefully.

After thorough review of the damage brought by the September hurricane, officials at De Soto National Memorial announced that two of its gumbo limbo trees would have to be taken down to protect visitors. This included the estimated 50,000-pound American Forests Champion Tree, a designation given to the largest of its species in the U.S. that is said to be 80 years old.

The day of, Monday morning, started off fog-filled and dreary. To the park’s superintendent Nathan Souder, it was fitting.

“I was talking with the staff and we just felt it was somewhat representative of our moods,” he said, watching as crews from Biological Tree Services took the tree apart in small chunks.

“We all care about this tree,” he said. “None of us want to take it down.”

Ed Bingle — a “champion tree-climber,” said his boss Tammy Kovar — situated himself on a freshly cut branch, trying to figure out his next move. The next piece he would cut was connected by a wire to the other side of the tree; one wrong move and either side of the thick arms could collapse, taking him with it. It was a process to relieve the stems of the pressure from the wire and supporting the larger pieces with a Bobcat bulldozer.

Aside from Irma causing the tree to twist and crack, the tree was already doomed. A nasty case of ganoderma butt rot, which is also seen in palm trees, was caused by the Ganoderma zonatum fungus. The disease makes the base of the tree hollow out, effectively weakening its structure, and is fatal for the tree.

Some of the larger pieces will turn into mulch, Bingle said. But the champion tree’s legacy won’t be just to keep in soil moisture.

By midday, 100 small branches were treated with a root growth hormone called Hormodin, stuck in dirt and wrapped in a translucent bag to be given out to anyone that wants a tree of their own. The Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources department and volunteers will be planting about 60 of the branches in the southern portion of the Robinson Preserve expansion.

Gumbo limbo branches don’t always need hormones to grow, as they’re naturally prone to regrowth. According to the Lee County IFAS extension, a tree can grow from a seed to a 6-foot to 8-foot tree in 18 months.

“We’re just going to accelerate that process so no one goes home with a dud,” Kovar said.

Gumbo limbos have striking bark that peels off in flakes, exposing a reddish-copper color. It also attracts the dingy purplewing, or Eunica monima, which is a purple-gray butterfly.

If you’re one of the lucky ones who snags a free (and disease-free) branch at the park between noon and 5 p.m. Wednesday, Kovar has two pieces of advice: Put it in a place that has a lot of sun and a lot of space. This 80-year-old tree grew 45 feet tall and had a 16-foot trunk.

“And away from your house, right?” Bingle said.

This story was originally published November 6, 2017 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Bradenton’s, and the nation’s, largest gumbo limbo tree torn down."