An earlier replacement, recalled in December 2022

The December 9 tree letter described an earlier response to a tree uprooted by heavy rain and wind at the northeast corner. The Gramercy Park Block Association asked Bartlett Tree Experts to assess the location, and a paperbark maple was chosen for the space.

The December 15 follow-up reported further replacements, including the move of a struggling paperbark maple into the Park.

Three openings in the canopy

In December 2022, the Block Association reported planting three new trees around the Park with Bartlett Tree Experts. Two Goldenrain trees filled empty tree gardens on the south side. A maple replaced a struggling paperbark maple at the east corner.

The paperbark maple was moved inside the Park, where the newsletter hoped it would do better.

The right tree for the place

The choices followed an assessment of soil, available light and the health of neighboring trees. Replanting was described as a considered response to the conditions of each site.

The new trees joined a streetscape of 41 tree gardens, whose fences, edging and seasonal planting had already been the subject of years of neighborhood care.

Care after planting

The Block Association’s December 2024 tree letter returned to the same principle: replacing a lost tree requires attention to the conditions around it. The later ArborScope inventory made the individual needs of the perimeter tree gardens easier to record and follow.

Caring for the new trees

Planting marks a beginning. Root care, pruning and attention to growing conditions continue afterward. Explore how the Block Association cares for the street trees, or find a particular tree in the map.

Workers use a compact loader to position a root ball in an excavated tree garden beside the sidewalk.
Planting work in a perimeter tree garden during the Block Association’s December 2022 tree project.
Workers position a tree and root ball in a planting area inside Gramercy Park.
Tree replanting inside Gramercy Park, shown in the December 2022 update.
Sources

Adapted from the dated Block Association records below.