Great Trees of New York City

By Ede Rothaus

In a city of millions of trees, only a few are recognized as “Great Trees of New York City.” They are selected from nominations in each borough based on unusual size, species, form or historical association. Our neighborhood is home to five of the newly named Great Trees. Here’s what we learned at New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

All photos by Ede Rothaus.

#1. DAWN REDWOOD AT LIZ CHRISTY GARDEN

This tree is a local landmark that can be seen along Houston Street from Avenue B in the East Village all the way to Greene Street in SoHo. Planted by Tessa Huxley in 1981, this specimen is about 100 feet tall. Huxley recalls scraping the top of the subway tunnel under the garden when she prepared the hole for it. Anyone who walks under it on a hot day will notice the temperature suddenly drops under its large canopy.

#2 HARE KRISHNA/AMERICAN ELM AT TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK

Friends of Tompkins Square Park volunteers support the park with gardening and cleanup activities on Saturday mornings.  Why the Hare Krishna tree? The International Society for Krishna Consciousness came to the U.S. in 1966  with headquarters in the East Village.  The disciples met under the great elm and, for the first time in their religion’s long history, chanted the Hare Krishna mantra aloud. Today Krishna followers continue to visit the tree because of its significance.

#3 GREAT ENGLISH ELM AT WASHINGTON SQUARE

Not only does this very rare tree have the genes that enable it to live more than 300 years, but it also has NYC Parks and the Washington Square Park Conservancy working together to provide care. In addition, every five years an arborist firm assesses the tree’s health. It has grown to a height of 131 feet with a trunk diameter at 70 inches and a canopy spreading out more than 42 feet. While often referred to as the “hangman’s tree,” this appears to be an urban legend.

#4    WEEPING WILLOW AT CREATIVE LITTLE GARDEN

Following a fire in the 1970s, an old tenement building on East 6th Street was demolished The city designated the empty lot to be used for community garden purposes and the Creative Little Garden opened in 1978. From its inception the garden has been run by volunteers. The weeping willow is surrounded by a blue stone patio. It is more than six stories tall with a 40-foot canopy and trunk diameter of 37 inches.

#5   WEEPING WILLOW AT EL JARDIN DEL PARAISO 

The largest community park on the Lower East Side features ‘hands on’ gardening and environmental resources for students and community residents. El Jardin promotes environmental awareness and education and provides space for community recreation and events. Since 2011, it has been hosting the annual New School class — which is the USA’s first undergraduate class in community gardening. Younger students ages two and up from the nearby New Amsterdam School visit the garden every day during the school year. Many climb up onto the weeping willow that Liz Christie planted so many years ago.