There’s No Other Historical Landmark In Utah Quite Like This 92-Year-Old Tree
By Catherine Armstrong|Published June 22, 2019
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Utah has many unique landmarks, both natural and man-made, and quite a few of them are instantly recognizable. Delicate Arch is well-known all over the world, as is the Great Salt Lake, and everyone knows exactly where to find the Bingham Canyon Mine, which is the largest open-mine pit in the world.
There’s a much smaller, and lesser-known historical landmark in Provo — a historic tree that sits on the grounds of the Historic Utah County Courthouse. It’s a natural landmark, but one man certainly had a hand in its creation.
The Historic Utah County Courthouse was completed in 1926. Designed by architect Architect Joseph Nelson, it's a beautiful building constructed in the neo-classical style.
Address: 51 South University Avenue, Provo, UT, 84601
When it was completed, the public was in awe. The building cost $576,495.30, and it's a work of art. Its spacious, open design includes features like Alaskan and Tennessee marble and granite from Little Cottonwood Canyon.
When it came time to design the grounds for the courthouse, employees Roni Christopherson and Elmer Pulley were given the task of purchasing the trees to be planted. They traveled to a nursery in Ogden, where the owner gave them a special gift.
The Ulmus Americana is an extremely rare tree. It's a combination of an elm tree and weeping willow grafted together, and it's said that there's not another tree like it anywhere in the country.
The tree is located on the east side of the courthouse, and it covers the space with its leafy tabletop. Enjoy a picnic lunch on one of the tables underneath; the trees provide plenty of shade.
Despite their best efforts, landscape experts have been unable to create another tree like this one. Seedlings from the tree grow, but not in the same tabletop shape.
The tree has survived all kinds of diseases and pests throughout the years. Ladybugs are brought in to eat the aphids that try to attack the tree, and it's survived microbursts and construction all around it. You'll see signs asking you not to climb this tree — please comply so that we can continue to enjoy it for years to come.
In the fall, it takes seven dump trucks to haul away all the leaves that fall from the tree. Because the branches grow outward instead of upward, supports are places under the branches to keep them from breaking.
