Sad news came in from The Woodlands Cemetery recently: Despite all the efforts to save the four remaining elms of the Grove of Seven Giants, the trees eventually succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease, and The Woodlands personnel began the process of de-limbing the historic grove that dates back to the Hamilton Era. Tree experts believe that this was the only remaining Elm grove of its kind in the country, according to a blog post on The Woodlands website.

The first signs of Dutch elm disease on some of the trees were discovered in May 2014, and testing confirmed the infection. After that The Woodlands began inoculating the remaining elms in an attempt to keep them free of the disease, but unfortunately, the trees could not be saved. 

On Thursday, March 9, from 4 – 6 p.m., The Woodlands is hosting an open house style memorial for the trees. More information can be found here. To read more about the history of English Elms at The Woodlands and their conservation efforts, go here.