A Cut Off the Old Tree

Cloning one of the Park's centennial trees

A European Beech tree in Central Park was recently recognized for its historical and environmental significance.  The tree, located at Cherry Hill, was chosen to be the first tree cloned as part of an initiative to preserve and protect New York City’s centennial trees.  Trees that are more than 100 years old require special care and are found across the City’s public parks and on streets. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and staff from the Central Park Conservancy joined 11th and 12th grade agriculture students on January 10 to take cuttings from the European Beech.   
 
In addition to Central Park’s contribution, a team of arborists is taking cuttings from a total of 25 trees throughout the five boroughs.  These 12-inch cuttings, gathered from high in the treetops, will be shipped immediately to a nursery in Oregon.  The nursery will grow and care for the saplings to produce ten genetically identical clones of each original tree.  Upon growing to two- to three-feet in height, the saplings will be replanted throughout New York City as part of a PlaNYC initiative to plant one million trees throughout the five boroughs over the next ten years.

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