Live oak on iconic, tree-shaded Ocean Springs road needs to be axed, report says
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- Arborists report structural decay and insect damage in the Lovelace Oak.
- Experts recommend immediate tree removal due to high risk of collapse.
- Ocean Springs officials to vote on tree removal at tonight’s aldermen meeting.
The Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen is expected to decide at a special :5:30 p.m. meeting Monday whether one of the live oaks on tree-shaded Washington Avenue should come down.
The tree, known as the Lovelace Oak, could fall in a highly trafficked area of downtown. The tree sits in front of the former Lovelace Drugs, now home of Chandeleur Outfitters.
“From an appearance standpoint, this tree looks healthy and vigorous. However, during the inspection we noted a considerable amount of structural damage, decay and evidence of insect infestation,” says a report from Cambium Tree Care & Preservation of Ocean Springs.
“There are several large scaffold limbs that are attached at a point on the trunk that have been subjected to limb loss from weather events, insect damage, decay and improper pruning practices. The potential for failure, in our opinion, is very high.”
Diseased oak examined downtown
A certified arborist at Cambium, Gerald A. Miller, is recommending that the area be blocked off until the tree can be removed.
The tree’s condition was initially noted Sept. 8 by David Fulgham, an arborist and certified forester who was reviewing the city’s tree inventory.
He found a large cavity in the oak that is open on the street and sidewalk sides of the tree, saying in an email that the cavity is obscured on one side by vines.
“The only remaining shell wall that is present at this union is on two sides of the stem and makes up a smaller portion of the original circumference,” he noted in the email sent to city employees. “The weight of the main stem is only being supported by these two small sections of wood in the remaining shell wall. It’s my opinion that this condition creates alikelihood of failure of ‘probable’ to ‘imminent.’ “
This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 3:08 PM.
