Two cars struck, damaged by fallen section of Arnold Arboretum tree

By Jeff Fish, Globe Correspondent

Two cars parked on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain were damaged Saturday at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum after a large section of a maple tree fell and stuck them.

At about 1 p.m., the sugar maple tree, located near the Center Street gate, “lost some significant branches, likely due to wind” and hit the parked cars, said Julie Warsowe, manager of visitor education at the Arboretum.

Warsowe was unsure how badly the cars were damaged, but said one was able to pull forward, making it easier to remove the tree limbs.

“The immediate hazard has been removed,” said Warsowe. “From what I understand, [the drivers] were obviously upset, but understand that it’s an act of nature and not something that could have been controlled.” The drivers will work out the incident with their insurance companies on Monday, she said.

Warsowe said she didn’t know the extent of damage to the tree, which was added to the Arboretum’s collection in 1950.

“It’s unclear if [members of the horticulture staff] will just have to remove some braches or if the whole tree will have to be removed,” she said, adding the tree would be evaluated on Monday.