Vickie Remoe Institute of Digital Communications

Freetown’s Iconic Cotton Tree, Symbol Of Freedom Is No More

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Freetown’s iconic Cotton Tree has fallen. The tree, believed to be over 230 years old, fell due to heavy rains and wind on Wednesday, May 24. To Sierra Leoneans, the tree symbolizes freedom and resilience, believed to have been the first gathering place of formerly enslaved people who left America, Nova Scotia, and Jamaica to start life anew as freed men and women in Sierra Leone.

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, who is running for re-election, said the city had lost its iconic symbol.
“A major part of our city’s identity is no more.”

A major policy of the Mayor’s first five years in office was the  “Freetown the Treetown” campaign to plant one million trees.

Other landmarks on Independence Avenue and Walpole Street include the High Court, the National Museum, and State House.

The Cotton Tree was used in recent years for political banners, placards, and corporate messages. It was also a home for birds and provided shade to the down and out. The tree was a ceiba pentandra, a fast-growing tree that produces cotton after just five years. Its economical lifespan is 60 years, but it can live for hundreds of years.

Citizens expressed grief and disbelief on social media.

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