Five heritage trees in danger of collapse
Conservancy Association raises fears and calls for new measures to safeguard against spread of disease
Five of Hong Kong's heritage trees, some of them ancient, are in danger of death and collapse, according to a green campaign group.
The Conservancy Association said the five trees - a Chinese banyan in Kowloon Park, a West Indies mahogany in Hong Kong Cemetery, a rain tree on Shouson Hill Road, a silk tree in Sham Shui Po and a banyan in Kowloon City - were showing an increasing number of cracks in their trunks and a noticeable loss of leaves and were leaning to one side.
The trees were among the nine chosen as the city's top trees in a public vote in 1997.
"We really need a comprehensive policy that emphasises preventive measures instead of just saving and removing trees," said Ken So, the association's chief executive.
The Kowloon Park banyan - believed to be the source of an epidemic of brown root-rot disease spreading through trees in Tsim Sha Tsui - is still plagued by fungi and pests, despite being placed in what the Leisure and Cultural Services Department described as "intensive care".
A departmental spokesman insisted it had shown no sign of further deterioration.
"We have been applying fungicide every three months and organic foliar liquid fertiliser is also applied every 15 days to supply nutrients to the tree," he said.