120-year-old lime tree to be felled

The imposing lime tree at the entrance to the Schluechthof in Cham is ill. It will have to be replaced for safety reasons.

For about 120 years, a lime tree has stood at the entrance to the Schluechthof in Cham. The cantonal building department has reported that there has been an increasing formation of deadwood in the imposing tree for several years and that the tree has therefore been subjected to intensive crown care. Following the two dry summers of 2018 and 2019, poorly formed leaves have indicated that the tree has a water supply problem. Water was periodically supplied to the tree from August 2018 and also during the summer of 2019.

The imposing lime tree at the entrance to the Schluechthof in Cham is sick and needs to be replaced.
Photo: PD

A new assessment in June 2021 shows that individual branches in the lower crown area only show a low level of leaf shoot. No budding can be seen from the middle of the crown. In addition, it turns out that the bark mantle at the base of the trunk has dried out. This confirms that the flow of water is now definitively interrupted.

Replacement by an adult Swiss tree
According to the press release, and, on the basis of the available results, there’s no longer any hope that the tree will recover. As the lime tree is located at a busy location, it will have to be removed this month for safety reasons. A landscape architect was consulted with regard to the replacement planting. It became clear that another lime tree should be planted at this location, and a lime tree grown in Switzerland is to be used. These trees are already adapted to the strongly changing climatic conditions of Switzerland and thereby provide the necessary prerequisites for a good, long-term existence.