Six dozen colossal coral trees along San Diego Bay are being hewn down to stumps after the Port of San Diego deemed the plants a safety hazard to parkgoers.
The coral trees, which are named as such because their serpentine branches can resemble the underwater organism, are sprawled around the San Diego Bay, including Harbor Island Park, Spanish Landing Park, the Chula Vista Bayfront and the Embarcadero where crews had chopped down several on Thursday. Next, crews will need to work to remove the stumps and the above-ground roots from the area.
Brianne Page, a spokesperson for the Port of San Diego, said ocean water has caused the erythrina caffra to dry out and weaken. Couple that with intense winter rain and saturated soil, and the threat of toppling trees that could cause property damage or personal injury was too great to ignore.
Photos of the trees prior to their removal showed their deteriorating condition; some were sprouting fungi and others had rotting heartwood.
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"Coral trees are not well-suited for our environment," Page said. "Coral trees grow better where there is more fresh water in the soil. Around the San Diego bayfront, the water in the soil is high in salt content due to the soil being mostly made up of dredged material from the bay."
Cutting down the massive trees was not the port's first option, Page said. Crews first tried to remove the limbs most at risk of falling but they soon realized all limbs would need to be removed.
Each of the 72 cut-down coral trees will get multiple replacements. Dozens of more durable and colorful plant species -- native Mediterranean and Californian species -- are planned for the areas, including Canary Island Pines, African Tulip Trees, Bottle Brush Trees, Red Coal Gum Trees and other pines, cedars and junipers.
"The project will also increase carbon sequestration, enhance the use of public space, and increase usability of the parks as the large, above-ground root areas associated with coral trees limit available ground space," Page said.
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The majority of the re-planting will take place in the fall but first, the port will need to remove the coral tree stumps and their above-ground roots.
The removed erythrina caffra are not an endangered species but some coral trees are. The San Diego Zoo has been working to preserve the most endangered species of coral trees, E. perrieri, since the late 1990s through a propagating program.
