A London Plane tree, pictured, on Midsummer Common was substantially pollarded after its crown collapsed.
A spokesperson for Cambridge City Council’s tree officers said: “A large London Plane tree on Midsummer Common shed a very large primary limb late on Friday afternoon – over a quarter of the tree’s canopy had fallen into the park.
“A Tree Surgery Team was called out to attend as quickly as possible, as the rest of the tree’s crown had become unbalanced and unstable due to the large rip/break. The team had to work quickly and carefully over the top of narrowboats and livestock on the Common, excited from the fresh tree foliage laying in the park.
“The branch failure was caused by a weak branch union called an Included Bark Form. This is where the wood doesn’t fuse properly at the main fork of the tree where the trunk ends, and the crown begins.
“The damage was so extensive that we have now been left with a large stump. Planting is now being considered in or around the tree, but we will leave the current high stump/trunk to see if there is any regeneration growth in the coming months.”
