Donald Trump planted a new sapling at the White House on Tuesday to replace a nearly 200-year-old tree.

The US president dubbed the new tree a “MAGAnolia” after his “Make America Great Again” slogan.

The historic “Jackson Magnolia”, believed to have been planted by president Andrew Jackson in the 19th century, was chopped down for safety reasons on Monday.

The tree had shaded the White House’s South Portico for the majority of US presidencies, but it had been in bad shape since a small plane landed on the South Lawn and crashed into it in 1994, killing the pilot.

The White House said in a post on X that Trump had “planted a new MAGAnolia sapling at the White House – a direct descendant of the historic ‘Jackson Magnolia.’”

Reporters were not given access to the planting ceremony but the White House posted a video on social media of Trump digging into the ground with a gold-plated shovel and posing with a gardener.

The new, 12-year-old sapling is descended from the original tree which, according to tradition, Jackson planted to honour his wife, who died just before his swearing-in in 1829.