St. Aloysius Academy in Bryn Mawr has a beautiful campus with many mature, valuable trees. In the late 19th century, the property, called Wootton, was the summer home of George Childs, the owner of the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Mr. Childs enjoyed entertaining and would ask visitors — who included presidents, military heroes, and financiers — to plant a tree on his estate. 

George Childs was best friends with Anthony Drexel, the uncle of  Katharine Drexel, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891. She became the second American-born saint when she was canonized in 2000.

A frequent visitor to Wootton, Katharine Drexel planted a Norway spruce tree in front of the mansion. In the spring of 2023, a severe windstorm broke the top of the tree, leaving only about ten limbs and the trunk. Needless to say, the St. Aloysius community was upset at the prospect of losing the tree. But upon hearing the news, we at John B. Ward swung into action.

We reached out to our friends at Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens in Devon. Greenhouse and Nursery Manager, Helen Standen, offered to help try to propagate the Norway spruce by taking both cuttings and seeds. At her recommendation, we waited until the late fall of 2023 to start the process. The cuttings have spent the winter in a special soil mix at a low heat. If all goes well, the cuttings will grow roots and we will present young Saint Katharine Drexel Norway spruce trees to the sisters at St. Aloysius. Let’s hope for the best!www.staloysiusacademy.org