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Everybody in New York City wants to be the best of the best, and our trees are no exception.
NYC Parks just updated a comprehensive list of the city’s most significant trees for the first time in 40 years, a ranking that was determined by using measurements including historical, cultural and botanical significance—yes, that’s a thing in the tree community.
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The 61 trees were chosen out of a pool of more than 270 that were submitted by the public. The final selection was made by a panel of experts and leaders from different industries, including historians, authors, professors and more. In the end, it was clear that not all trees had what it took to be considered New York City’s best.
Some species that did make the cut include the American elm in the Bronx’s Mapes Park, a huge elm that the neighborhood’s residents rallied around to preserve; the Ginkgo tree on MacDonough Street in Bed-Stuy, which stands next to the mansion of the United Order of Tent’s, a Black women’s fraternal order that is more than 150 years old; the Osage orange tree in Marcus Garvey Park in Manhattan, which boasts a shape that inspired works of art; and the Tulip tree in Alley Pond Park, Queens, which is an impressive 350 years old and has been alive for most of the city’s history.
New Yorkers have always loved their trees—to us, living near a park is one of the most coveted status symbols. The ranking really feels like a celebration of greenery as an essential part of our ecosystem and city character.
”New York City’s trees represent a critical part of the cultural and historical fabric of our neighborhoods and communities, and it is a joy to release the final product of hundreds of proud and engaged New Yorkers submitting their nominations for the trees they love,” said Sue Donoghue, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation commissioner, in an official statement. ”When the original list was produced in 1985, New Yorkers could hardly imagine the changes we would see in our city, and through those many years our trees have served as neighborhood touchstones, historical reminders, and unique symbols of our diverse urban forest. We are so thankful to the New Yorkers who submitted nominees, and for the time of our expert panel who reviewed the nominations and made the selections for this historic new collection.
The 61 new additions have joined a cohort of 59 existing entries that were selected in 1985, bringing the list of significant trees to 120. That might seem like a lot—until you realize that there are over 666,000 trees sprawled across the city, according to some estimates.
To check out the full map of the city’s significant trees, along with descriptions regarding their significance, visit NYC Park’s website.