Faced with the prospect of the prolonged removal of dying trees surrounding the popular space known as Poplar Court, the Arboretum at Penn State has made the difficult decision to remove all the trees from the outer ring on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, and begin exploring the future use of the space as part of a longer-term Arboretum reimagination and expansion.
A bright, but short lifecycle
Designed as one of the Arboretum’s original features, Poplar Court is surrounded by an outer ring of black poplars (Populus nigra subsp. thevestina) that have already reached—or are rapidly reaching—the end of their healthy lifecycle. “The poplars have grown very quickly and well for us in this space,” said Marek Pundzak, Arboretum director of horticulture and operations, “but they’ve reached the age where they will rapidly decline, which is typical of tight upright cultivars. We’re seeing significant deadwood accumulation in the canopy of the outer ring, which presents a safety hazard to our visitors, volunteers, and staff.”
Maintaining the visitor experience
While some poplars have already been removed from the outer ring, there are several more requiring immediate removal, which would create a staggered, disjointed look of irregular columns, detracting from the desired visitor experience. By removing the outer ring of trees all at once, the Arboretum can focus on long-term planning while quickly transitioning to a temporary replacement to maintain the court for use during Pumpkin Fest and other upcoming events.
Partnering with experts
Removing large trees is a delicate, disruptive, and dangerous process, so the Arboretum is working with the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) to bring in a crew with specialized experience and equipment to tackle the job. “They’ll be cutting the trees into smaller pieces and taking those pieces out one at a time,” said Pundzak. “This will remove the trees in the least disruptive way possible with respect to the surrounding space.”
Focusing on renewal, not removal
Once the trees have been removed, any remaining root structures will be pulled from the ground, and the soil will be tilled for recultivation. “Removing these poplars will be a drastic change for us, and we will feel their absence for a long time,” said Pundzak. “It’s not a decision we’ve made lightly, but as we look to the future use of this space, as well as how it plays into our larger 15-year plan for Arboretum growth, it’s hard to not be excited about what is yet to come.”