Learn about tree physiology through exploration of the inner parts usually hidden from sight!
In a botanic garden, gardeners monitor the health of trees and must decide whether they are at risk of falling or losing branches, posing a potential safety threat. Unfortunately, the pin oak in this exhibit (Quercus palustris) needed to be cut down due to fungal issues that were slowly killing the tree.
This allowed for a unique opportunity to show the inside of a tree. Gardeners thoughtfully and carefully cut the tree into sections to make this display, laid out in the Osborne Garden for a close-up view.