Cherry Hill's avenue of trees faces change
More than 40 years ago, Joe Zanghi planted the first cherry tree along Chapel Avenue in Cherry Hill. He has proudly watched his labor of love blossom into a two-mile stretch of more than 1,400 trees that begin erupting with a burst of color as a rite of spring.
More than 40 years ago, Joe Zanghi planted the first cherry tree along Chapel Avenue in Cherry Hill.
He has proudly watched his labor of love blossom into a two-mile stretch of more than 1,400 trees that begin erupting with a burst of color as a rite of spring.
"They're beautiful," says Zanghi, 80, a retired data manager, who moved to the township in 1967. "This is something for everyone to enjoy."
Zanghi and a band of supporters, including his wife of 61 years, Betty, have been planting Kwanzan cherry trees for 43 years between Haddonfield Road and Kings Highway.
The annual blossoming has become legendary, drawing visitors from across the region to the bustling residential street to take in the beauty of the trees.
These days, Zanghi worries about the future of the cherry trees, which he believes have become a target of poachers. This week, he was alarmed to discover a truck parked on Chapel loaded with cherry tree branches.
"They're pruning them for commercial resale," Zanghi said in front of a tree, pointing to gaping holes where branches were missing. "It totally ruins the beauty of the trees."
Zanghi took photographs and reported the incident, along with two others this week, to police. He also sent appeals to local and Camden County officials requesting help to protect the trees.
Township spokeswoman Bridget Palmer said that police were investigating, but that at least two property owners had given permission for the pruning. "There is nothing illegal happening," she said.
Once a tree is planted, it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the tree, Palmer said.
Mayor Chuck Cahn has agreed to meet soon with Zanghi to discuss his concern and develop a long-term plan for Chapel, she said.
"It is a nice, noteworthy thing for our area," Palmer said. "We want to make sure they are maintained."
Zanghi has asked the township to assume responsibility for the trees, planting and replacing them as they mature and die. He often paid for the trees out of his own pocket - as much as $300 a tree.
"If something isn't done, the trees will be destined to be doomed," said Zanghi, who lives about two blocks off Chapel. "Year by year, the trees will be lost."
The cherry trees were honored in 2014 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society as a "Garden of Distinction." The Kwanzan variety has plush double blossoms that transform each bushy thicket of branches into a pillowy cloud of pink.
They are expected to be in full bloom this year during the last two weeks of April. Plans call for lining Chapel with American flags and yellow ribbons, a tradition Zanghi began after 9/11.
"The trees are one of the most beautiful aspects of Cherry Hill," said longtime resident Val Katz, an insurance administrator, who was out for a lunctime walk Wednesday on Chapel. "If they are being poached, that's God-awful."
Zanghi planted the first tree near what is now Kennedy Memorial Hospital in 1973. Back then, a tree cost about $25.
With help from volunteers, shade trees scattered along the route were removed. The result created an almost unbroken canopy of cherry trees.
Over the years, supporters such as American Legion Post 372 and the Cherry Hill Fire Department pitched in and planted trees. Last year, eight trees were added.
Zanghi, a Southwest Philadelphia native, had hoped a tree-lined Chapel would help create a tight-knit neighborhood and instill civic pride. His vision included an annual parade and festivities to celebrate the blossoms. A parade was held for many years, but the tradition ended in 1992.
Zanghi worries that his dream will become lost because residents are unaware of the plight of the cherry trees.
"This is from the bottom of my heart. I believe in it," he said.
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