City's Oldest Tree: Manhattan or Queens?

With the wind blowing down trees out there today (seriously, watch out, one "city-owned tree" just hit a house in Queens), and the 600-year-old tree being torn down before it rots out and falls over, CityRoom asks where the oldest tree in the 5 boroughs is.

With 5.2 million of them rooted in our neighborhoods, even Edward S. Barnard, author of New York City Trees: A Field Guide for the Metropolitan Area, told the site: “God only knows.” Their guess, however, is that the oldest may be the tall tulip tree in Alley Pond Park, called the Queens Giant. While the tree is tall, that isn't the only indicator of age, especially in urban areas where stressful conditions can slow growth. While the plaque on it says it's 400 years old, "the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation is unsure of the origins of that estimate and cannot say whether the margin of error is measured in years or centuries." Some contend that it's only 250 years old. But who cares, there's a fun hollow in its trunk that provides a hidden space for several people at a time!

Meanwhile, Barnard, who is currently penning a book about Central Park's trees, says he's discovered two there that predate the park's construction; “It’s exciting for people like me to look at, to touch something that lived so long ago. There’s something sacred about these ancient living things.” If you want to touch the past, head over to "the Hanging Tree" (aka the Hangman's Elm) in Washington Square Park, which is said to be over 300 years old.