right now we’re standing at the altar a
citywide nursery in Van Cortlandt Park
and behind me we have the 9/11 survivor
tree
the 9/11 survivor tree is a Cleveland
calorie pair and we use them in the city
a lot for the street trees because they
tend to grow straight up and they don’t
branch very low
this pear tree was not the only pear
tree down there there were numerous pear
trees in 10-foot Square cement planters
this tree just happened to be very very
close to the Trade Center building when
it collapsed
all the upper branches on this tree was
shattered and torn off this entire tree
was no taller than 8 feet when we got it
it was what we would consider mortally
wounded I didn’t think the tree would
survive you know I just started working
here then so the tree symbolizes for me
the beginning of my career here at the
nursery
I was also wounded I was a collection
officer I got shot in a line of duty
then I was able to bounce back and the
tree was the same way if you look at it
from far away you never could tell that
anything was wrong you have to actually
go up close take a look at the bark wear
the crown started growing again and that
will tell you the story that’s when you
know that wow this tree really went
through something there isn’t all that
much we can do other than clean its
wounds and give it a good place to grow
and absorb nutrients the trees about 30
years old when it came up here now it’s
closer to 40 years old but it still has
a good 30 or 40 years to go and maybe
more
they’re here today to take the survivor
tree back she’s gonna go back for
ceremony tomorrow and it’s a really
emotional day for me I’m happy she’s
going back and just a lot of meaning
when I look at the tree all right all
right how’s everything big day huh big
day you know is always a mixed emotion
because this means that it’s it’s real
you know this means that we’re gonna
gonna bring her home and with that comes
the memories so you know the fact that
they had to leave in the first place who
were you working in mm you were down
there yeah 10 months it’s the last
living thing to get out of that site
the frame is too high we’re over 13 6
which is an illegal travel light so I
need to find an open air route down to
the Trade Zone so we don’t hit any
overpasses
she’s probably gonna really take off
nicely because now she’s going to be in
fertile soil everything beginning soil
it’s got aeration got fertilization
you know the whole plaza in essence is a
rooftop garden it’s a it’s a six foot
deep planter box she’s gonna grow evenly
just a little bulb on one side but soon
as the Sun hits it it’ll start reaching
out towards the Sun it’ll grow out
evenly so it’s gonna look good
this time of the year usually the second
or third week of April is when this tree
will bloom the tree just attracts so
many people I think that’s interesting
about here is that there’s not a sign on
the tree that there’s not a plaque
there’s nothing to tell people that this
year is special
there’s the monoculture of White Oaks
here and yet the people are drawn to
this one tree and they know without
anybody telling them that this is a
special treatment this pea tree
represents to me the ability of not only
an organism to regrow and drive it also
represents how our great city of New
York is that yes we will take a hit but
the Norris of Iverson
this tree is prolific way that it will
seed out
so I’m sure the birds are spreading
seeds in this tree all around Manhattan
in this area so in many more ways than
one this tree has come home
you
citywide nursery in Van Cortlandt Park
and behind me we have the 9/11 survivor
tree
the 9/11 survivor tree is a Cleveland
calorie pair and we use them in the city
a lot for the street trees because they
tend to grow straight up and they don’t
branch very low
this pear tree was not the only pear
tree down there there were numerous pear
trees in 10-foot Square cement planters
this tree just happened to be very very
close to the Trade Center building when
it collapsed
all the upper branches on this tree was
shattered and torn off this entire tree
was no taller than 8 feet when we got it
it was what we would consider mortally
wounded I didn’t think the tree would
survive you know I just started working
here then so the tree symbolizes for me
the beginning of my career here at the
nursery
I was also wounded I was a collection
officer I got shot in a line of duty
then I was able to bounce back and the
tree was the same way if you look at it
from far away you never could tell that
anything was wrong you have to actually
go up close take a look at the bark wear
the crown started growing again and that
will tell you the story that’s when you
know that wow this tree really went
through something there isn’t all that
much we can do other than clean its
wounds and give it a good place to grow
and absorb nutrients the trees about 30
years old when it came up here now it’s
closer to 40 years old but it still has
a good 30 or 40 years to go and maybe
more
they’re here today to take the survivor
tree back she’s gonna go back for
ceremony tomorrow and it’s a really
emotional day for me I’m happy she’s
going back and just a lot of meaning
when I look at the tree all right all
right how’s everything big day huh big
day you know is always a mixed emotion
because this means that it’s it’s real
you know this means that we’re gonna
gonna bring her home and with that comes
the memories so you know the fact that
they had to leave in the first place who
were you working in mm you were down
there yeah 10 months it’s the last
living thing to get out of that site
the frame is too high we’re over 13 6
which is an illegal travel light so I
need to find an open air route down to
the Trade Zone so we don’t hit any
overpasses
she’s probably gonna really take off
nicely because now she’s going to be in
fertile soil everything beginning soil
it’s got aeration got fertilization
you know the whole plaza in essence is a
rooftop garden it’s a it’s a six foot
deep planter box she’s gonna grow evenly
just a little bulb on one side but soon
as the Sun hits it it’ll start reaching
out towards the Sun it’ll grow out
evenly so it’s gonna look good
this time of the year usually the second
or third week of April is when this tree
will bloom the tree just attracts so
many people I think that’s interesting
about here is that there’s not a sign on
the tree that there’s not a plaque
there’s nothing to tell people that this
year is special
there’s the monoculture of White Oaks
here and yet the people are drawn to
this one tree and they know without
anybody telling them that this is a
special treatment this pea tree
represents to me the ability of not only
an organism to regrow and drive it also
represents how our great city of New
York is that yes we will take a hit but
the Norris of Iverson
this tree is prolific way that it will
seed out
so I’m sure the birds are spreading
seeds in this tree all around Manhattan
in this area so in many more ways than
one this tree has come home
you
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