Damage done to one of the trees that was vandalised at the Public Gardens last summer. source: Twitter @LilOldAl

More than two dozen damaged trees at the Public Gardens are slowly growing back.

Thirty-three trees at the National Historic Site, were girdled in July 2022; when strips of bark were removed with the intention of killing the tree. Initially 4 of the 33 trees were damaged beyond repair and were removed.  Since then, HRM says staff have been doing damage repair and 28 of the 29 trees left, have been responding. They have used coconut fibers to repair the wounds and attempted bridge-grafting, to encourage healthy bark over the wounded areas.

However, they say it may take several years of continued tree growth to know the full extent of the damage done.

Many of the trees were 50 to 200 years old.