9/11 Survivor Tree – Silent Witness To History

 9/11 Survivor Tree – Silent Witness To History

In October 2013, my then 11-year-old daughter, E.J., and I took our annual autumn trip to New York City.  She was born in November 2001, just seven weeks after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

When E.J. turned 5, I began a tradition of taking her for a yearly Broadway weekend.  When she was so young, I never specifically discussed 9/11 or terrorism with her.  I explained security precautions at the airport in general terms.  My thinking was that there would be little that a child could do with the knowledge of 9/11 except to be frightened.  But in 2013, she was an exceptionally bright and well-traveled twelve-year-old woman, and we went to the 9/11 Memorial together.  She’d learned about that most horrible day in school and was prepared for the impact of visiting ground zero.

We met first responders, family members of the victims, and heroes. The day of our visit was sunny and warm, and the Memorial area was quite crowded. Yet voices were lowered, and the tone was quieter than the surrounding streets of bustling Manhattan. To me, it seemed sacred ground. I imagined that my reaction was not unlike that of the previous generation visiting Pearl Harbor after having lived through the shocking news of that attack.

We talked of all the memories of our visit, but the one that had the most resonating impact on my daughter was seeing the “9/11 Survivor Tree.”

The Survivor Tree

The Survivor Tree is a pear tree that stood near Building 5 in the World Trade Center complex, just off Church Street. According to our docent, it was planted in the mid-1970s. I had been to the World Trade Center a few times and may well have seen it, but I took no specific notice of it. Little could I have known that it would become a silent witness to history.

Before the terrorist attacks, the World Trade Center complex area had many beautiful trees.  When workers began clearing the almost unimaginable tons of rubble, they found that all the trees had been crushed, burned, and destroyed except for one tree.  In Oct er 2001, workers discovered the eight-foot tree, badly damaged but still alive.  Its trunk had been blackened, its limbs were barren, and its roots were mangled.   Only one small branch was still alive.  But it was alive.  It had survived.

In December 201, the Survivor Tree was moved to the Arthur Ross Nursery, part of the New York City Parks Department. Skilled arborists built a team that slowly and lovingly nursed the battered tree back to life. With great care, it was moved back to the site of the 9/11 National Memorial, the site of the World Trade Center.

Amazingly, in 2010, the Survivor Tee was healthy enough to be replanted. The 9/11 Survivor Tree is now well over 35 feet tall and thriving. The landscaping at Ground Zero is beautiful, but significantly, the designers chose to plant beautiful oak trees surrounding the official 9/11 memorial. The 9/11 Survivor Tree is the only pea tree to be seen.

9/11 Survivor Tree Today

It is easy to see the 9/11 Survivor Tree as a symbol of New York City’s resilience and strength. It certainly is that.

However, I also see the beautiful 9/11 Survivor Tree as a silent witness to history. People come and go, and nature finds a way to outlive us all.

I plan to write another blog article about other trees that are celebrated as witnesses to history. But I doubt any will ever touch me as personally as the 9/11 Survivor Tree.