Palm Beach loses an old comrade.Tree-lovers in Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. As of 2000, Palm Beach had a year-round population of 10,468, with an estimated seasonal population of 30,000. , are mourning the passing of a century-old, 90-foot banyan tree that was a focal point focal point n. See focus. of the city's Society of the Four Arts sculpture garden A sculpture garden is an outdoor garden dedicated to the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently-sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings. . The beloved tree had survived being struck by lightning, having roots cut away during sidewalk replacement, and being pruned for power line intrusion, but fell to hypoxylon canker canker, small sore on the inside of the mouth. A canker appears as a shallow, whitish ulcer surrounded by a thin, red area. It is tender, sometimes painful, and may occur singly or as one of a group of sores. , a fatal and contagious fungus. Experts said the tree made other ficus trees and shrubs vulnerable to the contagious fungus. Large limbs, one 5,000 pounds, crashed to the ground as the fungus spread fast and experts warned other ficus trees and shrubs were in danger as wind spread the contagious fungus. As a memorial, officials said, a new sculpture garden design is planned that will include three raised concentric circles planted with Majul palms and Canary Island date palms. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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