American Beeches, Bald Cypresses, and various kinds of Oaks are among 18 Queens natives that made the recent NYC Parks Department’s Great Trees of New York City list.
Akin to a hall of fame, the honorees are among 61 trees from around the five boroughs that were chosen by authors, arborists, and thought leaders from colleges, universities, and civic institutions who investigated each one’s botanical, cultural, and historical significance.
Here are the local selections.
Alley Pond Park
The Alley Pond Giant along Tulip Tree Trail (enter at Horace Harding Expressway)
Astoria
Willow Oak Street Tree at 23-24 Steinway St.
Bayside
American Basswood in Fort Totten Park Underhill Road and Officers Drive
Ginkgo in Crocheron Park behind the baseball fields, near the public restroom
River Birch Street Tree at 35-26 Corporal Kennedy St.
Douglas Manor
Katsura at 15 Shore Rd., front yard of private house
Elmhurst
American Elm Street Tree at 92-22 55th Ave.
Flushing
Bald Cypress at Flushing High School at 138-10 Northern Blvd.
Bald Cypress at Parsons Boulevard at 143-66 Sanford Ave.
Cedar of Lebanon in Weeping Beach Park near the public restroom, vicinity of 37th Avenue and Bowne Street
Weeping Beech in Margaret I. Carman Green in courtyard of Kingsland Homestead/Queens Historical Society at 143-35 37th Ave.
Manchurian Linden in Kissena Park adjacent to the tennis courts, 75 feet north of the public restroom, vicinity of Rose Avenue and Parsons Boulevard
Persian Parrotia in Kissena Park about 30 feet south of the public restroom, vicinity of Rose Avenue and Parsons Boulevard
Swamp White Oak in Bowne Park between northwest entrance and pond, vicinity of 155th Street and 29th Avenue
Forest Park
Pin Oaks on Memorial Drive from Jackson Pond Playground to Forest Park Drive
Kew Gardens
American Beech in Maple Grove Cemetery by the gravesite of Elizabeth Riis, who was married to author Jacob Riis
Another American Beech at Maple Grove Cemetery also near Riis’s final resting place
Woodhaven
Black Oak in Wyckoff-Snediker Family Cemetery All Saints Episcopal Church, but not publicly viewable.
In 1985, NYC Parks embarked on its first-ever Great Tree Search and found 59 list-worthy trees. The 61 new ones bring the total to 120.
“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,” stated NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “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.”
Visit the NYC Tree Map to see the location, size, condition, and species of non-forest trees growing along NYC streets and in landscaped areas.
Credit: NYC Parks / Malcolm Pinckney