An Oklahoma City landmark got its semiannual face-lift Monday.
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A crew from Professional Tree Care pruned the Survivor Tree at the Oklahoma City National Memorial under the watchful eye of Mark Bays, forestry coordinator for the state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
Bays has cared for the American elm since it was damaged nearly 11 years ago in the blast that killed 168 people at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
He said it has been a gradual process since the tree wasn't well tended before the 1995 explosion riddled it with glass and other debris.
"It was a neglected tree for so long," Bays said.
The tree that once stood in a parking lot between the federal building and the Journal Record Building is now one of the centerpieces of the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
Bays said the tree, which may be as much as 100 years old, is pruned every couple of years. Officials have a backup plan in case something happens to the tree.
Bays said cuttings have been taken over the years to create genetic duplicates. A few such trees are growing in protected places.
"The legacy of the Survivor Tree really will outlive the Survivor Tree itself," he said. "They're (seedlings) going to be around forever."
Seedlings grown from the original tree also have branched out around the country, with one on the White House lawn, memorial officials said.
Bays showed off a plastic bag full of seeds collected Monday, the first day of spring.
"There's a whole forest of trees right there," he said.
