The Bowery Boys: Where are New York Citys oldest living trees?
Say hello to the Giant, the largest living thing in New York City This week, I’m looking at the oldest things New York City has to offer, by borough. Today’s subject happens to be the very oldest living residents of the city, the trees of New York City. These would be those trees that have not been transplanted from elsewhere — that would give the botanical gardens of New York an unfair advantage — plants that have stood right where they were since the earliest days of Dutch and British occupancy — and in one case, even before then. I was not able to find complete info for all five boroughs, and I will indicate where I could not come to a definitive answer. If you have any leads, please post them in the comments section. I’m obviously no arborist, so the details below are based on the research of others. However maybe someday I’ll trek out to these various sites armed with a tape measure and an layman’s knowledge on how to evaluate tree age. Hattie Carthan, Brooklyn’s tree saviour B
