A native, century-old elm tree near the Christie Pits neighbourhood – and one of the largest in Toronto – was recently cut down, sparking an outpouring of emotional and reminiscent tributes online.
The Enormous Elm Tree, which once stood tall over Barton Ave., was inspected at the end of May by city staff who responded to a storm call. The tree later received a follow-up inspection on May 30, where it was determined the tree would need to be removed.
The City of Toronto confirmed the tree underwent a three-day removal process from June 17-20, following a thorough assessment by Urban Forestry Operations staff, who determined the elm’s health had deteriorated beyond repair, posed a potential safety risk, and was declared “nearly dead.”
“A City-owned American elm (Ulmus americana) tree, approximately 168 cm in diameter, located on the road allowance fronting 216 Barton Avenue, just north of Christie Pits is ‘nearly dead’ and slated for removal. This tree was one of the biggest remaining American elms in Toronto, if not Southwestern Ontario, and is well known in the community,” a spokesperson for the City of Toronto told Now Toronto on Tuesday.
The long-standing tree, estimated to be more than 100 years old, was a prominent feature of the neighbourhood and had withstood the challenges and changes of urban development, and had undergone four Arbortect treatment injections over a nine-year period for preservation purposes.
Despite preventative treatment, the enormous elm was declared 99 per cent dead, with some branches having shown “minimal life.” Lab tests were conducted by the city to determine the exact cause of death using tissue samples from the tree, but they were inconclusive.
HOW DID IT DIE?
The tree “most likely died from Dutch Elm Disease or possible Elm Yellows,” according to the spokesperson.
Dutch Elm disease is a fungus that has decimated the native elm tree population across North America, and moves through root-to-root contact of related elm species. The disease can also be carried by bark beetles from infected trees to other elms.
Elm Yellows, another fatal disease of elm trees, is caused by phytoplasma, a bacteria-like organism that infects the internal bark of the trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to distribute nutrients.
Over time, the diseases kill elm trees, causing leaves to curl, wilt, yellow, and eventually drop.
The City of Toronto says it found similar patterns in the beloved enormous elm in late summer 2024, noting a thinning crown and yellowing leaves, possibly linked to the fatal infections.
“Staff noted potential Dutch elm disease (DED) or Elm Yellows in this tree late in the 2024 season. Both of these elm tree diseases are fatal to the tree. Tissue samples were sent to a lab for analysis but results for both diseases were inconclusive,” the spokesperson said.
But the city’s developments around the significant loss come as little shock to some working in the field of forestry.
“It’s no surprise because I’ve done lots of research on historical vegetation, and what used to be here before European settlement and land clearing so some of these arms that we see they’re probably remnants of the original forest or the original planting of films,” Danijela Puric-Mladenovic, University of Toronto assistant professor of forestry and landscape architecture, told Now Toronto on Wednesday.
Puric-Mladenovic says the Enormous Elm Tree was likely one of the elms which adapted to the invasive pathogenic disease.
“Some [elm] managed to stay and survive either because the carrier, which is an insect, was not able to reach them or maybe they had their natural resistance.”
COMMUNITY MOURNS THE ENORMOUS ELM TREE
Meanwhile, community members shared their photos and fond memories of the beloved century-old Enormous Elm Tree, with many expressing sadness over its loss.
“Now I feel bad for all the times I walked past without noticing it,” one Reddit user said.
“I remember this tree. My great grandmother lived on Barton, she bought her house in 1935, and we sold it shortly after her death in 2015, I’ve many fond memories of visiting her and her neighbourhood,” another Redditor commented.
“We lost a massive one on Bernard a few years back. I’m always so sad to see them go. 😞,” another user added.
“It barely leafed out this year, a shame but there is a plaque next to the stump,” another user said.
EXPERT SAYS CITY NEEDS TO PRIORITIZE PREVENTATIVE METHODS
In spite of the momentous loss, the City of Toronto says the decision to remove the tree was necessary to prevent future safety risks.
“Removing the tree will prevent it from becoming a hazard, as dead branches are more prone to breakage. It may also reduce the spread of elm tree diseases, as insects will leave the dying tree in search of healthy elm trees to feed on,” the spokesperson added.
Though elm trees continue to be affected by the fatal diseases, the city says it remains committed to monitoring and injecting fungicide to help protect the remaining native and European trees. The city also says it will remove elms if and when they become infected.
But Puric-Mladenovic says the city should have been thinking about prevention for the trees many years ago, citing the waves of Dutch Elm Disease that greatly devastated Canada’s elm canopy. She adds that preventative measures need to happen beyond reaction, and beyond the nearer future.
“We should’ve been thinking about that 50 years and we should think about 100 years ahead of time…Making a change is not going to happen without having strategic vision and strategic support from all levels of government.”
For the assistant professor, thinking ahead means addressing governmental processes and proactively tackling forestry-related crises, beyond reacting to them as they come.
“We react to that crisis and after that we realize, ‘Oh it’s too expensive to deal with the mess that we made so let’s do something else and then the next issue comes along, and we keep doing the same.’”
The city says some of the branches showing minimal life were collected and given to the University of Toronto for potential grafting, while other larger pieces were set aside for potential future projects.
Currently, the process to stump the century-old tree remains in progress, with an official date to be determined.
Meanwhile, Puric-Mladenovic shares hopes for the possibility of a resistant strain of elm to grow in the far future, citing their ability to produce seeds fairly quickly.
But she cautions the public to think beyond the present state of large tree canopies, and beyond their aesthetic appeal, making note of their significant ecological amplitude. And she adds that whenever you see a big tree, “cherish it.”
“What’s really sad is that maybe future generations will never ever in their life see that tree,” Puric-Mladenovic added. “We will never see those big trees again. Many new generations will never have the concept.”
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