One Evergreen oak or Holm oak Quercus ilex has been treated very specially. The Sir Samuel Kelly home in Holywood, built and run by the Salvation Army, was built to accommodate elderly people and also to accommodate an elderly tree.
In front of the entrance of the smart new building is an old evergreen oak, the subject of caring tree surgery and now in good hands for its old age. The trunk is 16’ 6” round, a mighty girth, and four main branches carry a spread of foliage.
By saving a noble tree, the home has a ready-made feature rather than having to plant new material. It may also inspire the human residents to a healthy old age!