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Landscapers (from left) David Woody, Chris Gibson and Dolittle Bunner plant a catalpa tree at Charleston's Magic Island on Monday, March 2, 2026. The men work for TerraCare, of Malden.
Kyle Stratton Crace, of Charleston, sits on a bench in the shadow of the Fort Hill Bridge next to a newly planted tree at Magic Island Park on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Debra Lafferty, of Beckley, jogs past newly planted trees Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Charleston's Magic Island. The additions are part of the Appalachian Spring tree-planting initiative in West Virginia's capital city.
Debra Lafferty, of Beckley, jogs past newly planted trees Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Charleston's Magic Island. The additions are part of the Appalachian Spring tree-planting initiative in West Virginia's capital city.
CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE | Gazette-Mail
An experiment in shade is growing at Magic Island on Charleston’s West Side.
As part of Phase 2 of the Appalachian Spring initiative, the city’s Municipal Beautification Commission has planted trees in the park to bring some cover to the field.
There were 32 trees planted at Magic Island this week, including catalpas, New Horizon elms, willow oaks and a row of eight cherry trees in front of the park's volleyball courts.
Landscapers (from left) David Woody, Chris Gibson and Dolittle Bunner plant a catalpa tree at Charleston's Magic Island on Monday, March 2, 2026. The men work for TerraCare, of Malden.
ASHLEY PERHAM | Gazette-Mail
MBC Chairwoman Anna Forbes said the trees planted closest to the river are an “experiment,” because they will have to grow through challenges such as flooding, pollution, beavers and even people. She said the failure rate for urban tree planting can be as high as 30%.
The trees are staked and have small cages around the bottom to protect them from beavers and routine lawn care.
“Cherries actually can sustain flooding, as you probably know from seeing them in Washington, D.C., where they're in a tidal basin,” she said. “[They need] a couple years to [grow] before they can really be able to sustain flooding.”
Kyle Stratton Crace, of Charleston, sits on a bench in the shadow of the Fort Hill Bridge next to a newly planted tree at Magic Island Park on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
LAURA BILSON | Gazette-Mail
All the Magic Island trees are large, fast-growing and will offer a lot of shade, Forbes said. The park's planting project, which cost about $30,000 in total, was funded with donations to the Appalachian Spring Fund at the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.
“We expect we might lose some of the ones closer to the river if we have serious flooding before they can get established,” Forbes said in a statement. “But it is worth trying for the benefit of the summer shade.”
During Phase 2, about 100 flowering cherry and dogwood trees are being planted along Kanawha Boulevard between the Fort Hill Bridge and the 35th Street Bridge. Other locations include Ruffner Park, the Elizabeth Street playground, Edgewood and Spring Hill Cemetery.
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