
The 70-foot Copper Beech survived the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution, but a deadly fungus may finally bring it down
the staff of nthe Ridgewood blog
WESTWOOD, NJ – A somber cloud has settled over downtown Westwood as borough officials reveal a heartbreaking diagnosis for the town’s most famous resident: the Kissing Tree.
The massive copper beech, a local landmark that has stood for nearly two centuries, has been diagnosed with a terminal case of brittle cinder fungus. While the news is devastating, Westwood leaders aren’t ready to say goodbye just yet, launching a “hail mary” search for a miracle cure to save the historic giant.

