Century-old trees die from inappropriate transplanting   

安徽合肥：98棵天价古树集体死亡 网友热议谁买单

17日，98棵从越南“远道而来”的“天价”紫薇树被专家宣告“集体死亡”，移植季节不适宜等多种因素成为“死因”。一时间民众热议：谁为天价古树之死买单。

Hefei (CNS) -- Of 98 Crape myrtle trees over a century old, which were introduced from Vietnam to Hefei City, Anhui Province at great cost last November, all were pronounced dead by local experts on July 17.

The heaviest Crape myrtle tree weighed 28 tons, and the highest one reached 40 meters. Presently, only bare trunks stand at Bada Park, Shu Mountain of Hefei, the bark having already fallen off.

Local experts said the deaths were triggered by multiple factors, including inappropriate climatic conditions, incompetent cultivation, and the simple act of transplanting them such a great distance away.

The economic loss was estimated at around ten million yuan, said Li Kangsheng, principal of Bada Park.

Public debate is lively regarding who should pay the bill. The local officials said this is purely business, and the park needs to swallow the cost alone.