Way to “root” for our local tree, Greenpoint!
NYC Parks just added McGolrick Park’s Eastern redbud tree to its list of “Great Trees of New York City,” joining more than 60 other leafy legends this year. The designation comes after a nomination process where New Yorkers could vouch for their favorite tree online, a process that opened up nearly a year ago.
The beautifully bendy Eastern redbud joins the willow oak on Herbert Street as North Brooklyn’s winning trees.
The Parks Department launched the list in 1985—this year’s update is the first since then. Great trees come in all shapes and sizes and can be awarded for different reasons, from their cultural to their botanical significance.
For the Eastern redbud, NYC Parks says that “[l]egend has it that a former gardener for the park fostered a relationship with horticulturalists at Prospect Park, where they agreed to take the unwanted trees from their seasonal plan orders. A true underdog story!”
An underdog tree—what could be more fitting for our neighborhood?