Wilsonville High School’s beloved Cumberland oak heritage tree to be removed in August

Published 2:04 pm Thursday, July 31, 2025

Over the past three years, and throughout the construction of the new Wilsonville High School Performing Arts Center, fences protected the Cumberland oak — a 75-foot-tall Oregon white oak tree that rests on the school’s campus.

The Cumberland Oak, an Oregon White Oak, at Wilsonville High School on Tuesday, July 29. (Staff photo: Mackenzie Larsen)

In August, the Cumberland oak will be removed by the city of Wilsonville after succumbing to damage by the invasive Mediterranean oak borer beetle species. 

After working for two years to stop the spread of the beetles onto local white oak trees, the West Linn-Wilsonville School District and city’s planning office decided that the tree needs to be removed. 

A combination of damage from the beetles, nearby construction and winter storms has damaged the oak beyond preservation. Last year, a consulting arborist attempted to prune all infected and dying tree limbs and treated the white oak to remove the beetles. 

The damage to the heritage tree is a reminder of the speed at which an invasive species like the Mediterranean oak borer can act. Between 2019 and 2025 the tree went from perfectly healthy and thriving to essentially dead, according to?. 

“The decline was not due to lack of care,” said Georgia McAlister, associate city planner, in the city’s Boones Ferry Messenger newsletter.  “The School District has done an incredible job caring for the tree consistently over many years. It was among the best cared for Oregon white oaks in Wilsonville.”

The Cumberland oak is Wilsonville’s first heritage tree and was dedicated in 1990. Although it’s the first heritage tree, it’s much older than the program is. 

Originally part of the 60-acre Cumberland family farm, the land (including the tree) was purchased by the school district in 1967when Wilsonville’s population was around 1,000.  

The school district signaled interest in replacing the Cumberland oak with a similar tree because the space and placement of the Performing Arts Center was designed for the heritage tree. 

The city provided more information about the Mediterranean oak borer in Oregon and how to spot an infestation.