Holden Arboretum in Kirtland lost 30 trees when storms ripped through Northeast Ohio Tuesday. As crews work to clear downed trees and branches, Holden will be closed through the weekend. The arboretum is also without electricity.
“We can see the power of the storm, because a lot of those snapped trunks are all very splintered,” said Caroline Tait, vice president of horticulture and collections. “The trees have fallen into other trees, and so that makes it very, very tricky to work on.”
Holden is working with outside crews because of the large size of the fallen trees, which is costly, Tait said.
The storm damage affected certain areas of Holden more intensely, including the Murch Canopy Walk and Buckeye Bud's Adventure Woods, a play space for kids. A tree fell on the supporting cables of the canopy walk. Both of those areas will be closed beyond this weekend for repairs, Tait said.
The 12-story Emergent Tower and seasonal Pollinator Express train exhibit both escaped damage.
The arboretum has been closed since Tuesday’s storm, canceling special events including Member Day and a concert by Apostle Jones.
“We're hopeful to open again next week,” Tait said. “I'm not sure which day.”
The last time Holden saw significant storm damage was in December 2020. While fewer trees were affected this week, the impact was greater, Tait said.
Staff will try to propagate the lost trees, if possible. Some of them are estimated to be around 100 years old.
“That's not overnight that you replace that capacity of a tree to positively impact our environment,” Tait said.
