By Daniel Katzive
Early morning dog walkers and runners arrived in Riverside Park South last Thursday to find a mature weeping willow tree on the park’s large grass lawn near West 65th Street had fallen overnight.
Riverside South regulars may have had a sense of deja vu: a similar tree had fallen nearby just a few months earlier and others have come down in this area in the recent past.
Weeping willow trees grow rapidly, but have a short lifespan according to the Parks Department’s website. However, they typically live between 40 and 75 years and this section of Riverside Park was completed less than 25 years ago, making the demise of these willows seem a bit premature.
West Side Rag reached out to the Parks Department to ask about what was ailing these majestic trees.
Weeping willow trees thrive in moist environments, but periods of prolonged heavy rains can oversaturate the soil, according to comments from a Parks official relayed by a spokesperson over email. “When this happens, Weeping Willows absorb water more quickly than many other species, and can become especially vulnerable to high winds,” the official said.
As weeping willows have fallen or been removed, NYC Parks has been planting river birches in their place, according to the official. These heat tolerant birch trees are often found in floodplains and swamps and, as the name implies, along rivers.
One such tree was in the process of being installed on Tuesday this week a bit south of where the willow tree fell a few days earlier. In addition to river birches, the parks department notes they have long planted willow oaks alongside existing species like red oaks and amelanchier.
You can check out locations of all of the weeping willow trees in Riverside South, HERE, and the same for the river birches, HERE.
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I loved these willows. Always stopped by them during my walks.
How much soil maintenance had NYC Parks deferred in Riverside Park South where the willow fell?
In many cases, the soil of the “lawns” in Riverside Park, so north of 72nd Street, is in terrible condition.
Strawberry Fields in Central Park is basically packed dirt, has been for years.
Soil that doesn’t allow water to get to the roots kills trees.
Dog urine to the rescue!
Grew up in CT with a bunch of weeping willow trees in our backyard. We’d lose at least one every hurricane in the 70/80s and other big storms. Made for a fun fort to play in as a kid until the tree guys came and cut and removed them. Finally, we had the last couple remaining cut down as they posed such a danger of falling over. I loved weeping willows. The look. The leaves. The bark. But this is the reason you don’t see many anymore. They fall over easily. Not the safest tree. Sad to see them go, but learned long ago they are a ticking time bomb.