By Gus Saltonstall
A roughly 160-year-old American Elm Tree at Tavern on the Green within Central Park will soon be chopped down, according to a manager at Tavern on the Green and a spokesperson from the Parks Department.
The Elm tree within an outdoor seating portion of the Tavern on the Green restaurant near West 66th Street was recently found to be infected with Dutch Elm disease. The fungus associated with the disease can be fatal for Elm Trees.
The specific Elm Tree is approximately 160-years-old, according to Bradley Frye, a manager at Tavern on the Green.
“After careful analysis and inspection, NYC Parks and The Central Park Conservancy and have identified the elm at Tavern on the Green in Central Park to be infected with Dutch Elm disease,” a Parks Department spokesperson told the Rag. “In order to minimize the spread of the disease, immediate interventive actions will be taken resulting in the removal of the tree.”
The Central Park Conservancy also performed an inspection of the tree to confirm the Parks Department finding that the Elm Tree on the restaurant’s premises showed the presence of Dutch Elm disease.
The city agency, along with the Conservancy, has also girdled the tree above the root flare to reduce the spread of the disease as a temporary measure. The disease can both spread through more of the tree itself, but also through roots to other nearby trees.
“It is really sad,” an employee working at Tavern on the Green on Monday said to West Side Rag.
The American Elm tree is generally considered Central Park’s most iconic. The row of mature elm trees along the Mall & Literary Walk is one of the park’s most visited sites. However, the green space’s collection of roughly 1,600 American Elms is far below its peak population, as “a century of Dutch elm disease has cratered the continent’s American elm population, turning this beloved native tree into a comparatively rare specific,” according to a Central Park Conservancy blog post from earlier this year.
The park’s designer Frederick Law Olmsted planted the first of the park’s American Elm trees in the 1860s, making them among the oldest in the world. It also means the Tavern on the Green American Elm tree soon to be removed is among the park’s earliest.
The tree had a front row seat to the countless developments that have taken place in Central Park over the past two centuries. Unfortunately, it will not stand to see what comes next.
While it has not been confirmed, a bit of good news is that Frye told the Rag that a new tree will soon be planted in its place.
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Very sad to read, that’s a beautiful tree, and it will be missed.
A treemendous loss for all.
Keep the Tree get rid of that horrible restaurant
I ate there recently and it was very good. And “keep the tree” is a nonsensical statement. The tree is rotted with a disease that will spread to the other trees in the park.
UGH-SO SO SAD to read this. Such a beautiful piece of History.
Why not spray the tree?
Unfortunately, you can’t just spray away Dutch Elm disease, which is highly contagious and decimated the nation’s elm population in the 1930s. Taking down this tree (and it is a beauty) may help control the spread of the disease through the park. Interesting article from the Central Park Conservancy. https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/american-elms-central-park-mall
How can I get 3 cross sectional slabs that each about 1/2″ thick for a wood working project. ? Thanks
Very sad indeed. It’s losing a piece of history and a gorgeous specimen of the natural world.
@Mike What’s wrong with TOTG? While not cheap, whatever over eaten there has been pretty good.
we all have “our time”. All living things die
This Elm knows its time. That’s what we all
said to make the removal of the very old trees
for the Museum expansion easier
The tree knows
I hope the new tree will not be a sapling but something larger
Will the tree be used for lumber, firewood or just thrown into a chipper?
I wonder if they were actively treating the tree via injection. That’s what we’re doing with our iconic American elms. Every 2 years they receive injections and this has staved off the disease. However, just like chemotherapy, the pesticide applications builds up in the tissue and the tree begins to decline. Still, we have at least 100 going strong!
Yes, the trees are injected and carefully monitored.
This is a shame. But I’m happy that we have such dedicated and knowledgeable people working for the city in Central Park. This park remains, by far, the most beautiful urban park in the country thanks to the dedication of folks like these!