We had an unhappy surprise on a recent Tuesday morning: the magnificent apple tree near the Livermore Pavilion had abruptly split its trunk and tipped over during the night, revealing a hollow core that had been rotting for some time. Garden Manager Michael Bogart quickly consulted with tree experts, but the conclusion wasn’t good: the tree had reached the end of its lifespan, and would need to be removed. We estimate it was at least 100 years old, predating the Center itself by a decade or two.
In the past few years, the apple tree had become a destination on the grounds, casting its shade over several patio tables. Its canopy of branches created an ideal meeting place for the staff and visitors as we slowly returned to normal routines after the pandemic shutdown, and it has sheltered workshops and painting groups and plant sales. This past summer we even enjoyed several concerts gathered around the tree as part of the WERKSTATT pop-up in The Shop. And of course, guests of countless celebrations in the Livermore Pavilion have found their way down the steps to a quieter spot beneath its branches.
Every few years, the tree would amaze us with a generous crop of fruit. Since we didn’t seem to have any records of what type of apple it was, we dubbed the variety “Livermore Crisp” in honor of one of our founders. It turns out that the tree was actually an heirloom Braeburn variety; it was certainly delicious.
Longtime readers will remember that the Garden School students made cider one autumn, and we were looking forward to a similar bounty in a month or two. Sadly, the apples didn’t get a chance to ripen this year, but we take hope from the small shoots the garden team saved from the fallen tree. The plan is to graft them onto some root stock, so that this beloved tree can continue to be part of the community—and we’ll look forward to more tasty, historic apples in the future.
