By Gus Saltonstall
What better time to view a great tree than in autumn when the leaves are beginning to turn?
Now, you can locate and enjoy the official “Great Trees” of New York City, eight of which are in Central Park.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the New York City Parks Department has updated its list of “Great Trees” in the five boroughs, identifying “the most significant trees that stand out as unique symbols of our diverse urban forest,” Parks announced in a press release.
To identify new trees that met the criteria, the city agency oversaw a public nomination period from April 2023 to March 2024, yielding over 270 nominations. A selection committee, including arborists, botanists, historians, authors, and cultural specialists, analyzed the nominees and 61 new trees were added to the existing list of 59.
To make viewing easier, for the first time, Parks has also created an interactive map of all 120 “Great Trees” in the five boroughs.
The eight “Great Trees” in Central Park were on the existing list, receiving the designation in 1985. A tree in Morningside Park was added to the list this year.
Here are the Central Park and Upper West Side trees included on the official “Great Trees” list.
- 94-Foot American Elm Tree near East 97th Street Central Park entrance
- 95-Foot London Plane Tree at Central Park Reservoir near East 96th Street
- 28-Foot Yoshino Cherries at the Central Park Reservoir near East 87th Street
- Pine Trees of the Arthur Ross Pinetum near the north end of the Great Lawn
- 50-Foot American Elm Tree at Central Park West and 77th Street
- 81-Foot Black Tupelo in The Ramble near 78th Street
- Grove of American Elms on Central Park Mall near 66th Street
- Pair of 78-Foot American Elms growing at rock outcrops east of Central Park Mall
- 77-Foot Evodia Tree by the Heckscher Playground near Columbus Circle
The lone new tree added to the list of nearby “Great Trees” was an American Sycamore in Morningside Park, just north of West 120th Street.
“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,” Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in a news release.
If you think the Parks Department missed a great tree on the Upper West Side or in Morningside Heights, let them know — HERE.
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All these awesome beautiful trees right in our backyard how awesome!
I admire the Elm at West 77th St. and Central Park West for years.
That first one on the list is the first I thought of as a great Central Park tree. There are a few great one on the North Meadow near the west side ballfields that hang down all the way to the ground.
The 77th and CPW tree (the one in the photo) is my all-time favorite tree. Living nearby, I visit it frequently. I hope to compose a sonnet or an ode in praise of it someday.