Together with the White House Grounds team and the National Park Service, arborists took down the Jackson Southern Magnolia tree over safety concerns on Monday. A new tree is going up.

Because of its beauty, the magnolia blossom was designated the state flower of Louisiana in 1900 and was also one of 21 candidates for the Arbor Day Foundation’s America’s National Tree contest.

The south facade of the White House will undergo a dramatic change this week: the historic Jackson Magnolia, a tree that has been in place since the 1800s, is scheduled to be cut down and removed.