Dawn Redwood at Liz Christy Garden

Borough: Manhattan
Community Board: 03
Designated: 2024

Tree Details

Species: Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
Trunk Diameter 30 Inches

The perfect conical shape of the dawn redwood in the Liz Christy Garden on Houston Street is admired by all who see it. The tree is a local landmark that can be seen along Houston St from Avenue B in the East Village all the way to Greene Street in SoHo. It was pivotal in the survival of the garden from 2004 to 2008, when the Avalon Bay development was built nearby.

The dawn redwood in the Liz Christy Garden was planted by Tessa Huxley in 1981. The garden on Houston between the Bowery and Second Avenue was founded in 1973, the first in a system of community gardens in New York City, now 600 strong. The tree is about 100 feet tall, and it has a wingspan of 30 feet. Metasequoias are deciduous trees that have no taproot, fortunate for the Liz Christy specimen, since Tessa Huxley recalls scraping the top of the subway tunnel under the garden when she prepared the hole for it. At the time of planting, it may have been ten years old. It was a donation from a local nursery, as were most of the shrubs and trees planted in the garden at that time.

The environmental value of the tree is obvious to anyone who walks under it on a hot day—the temperature suddenly drops under its voluminous canopy. The linear leaves absorb carbon dioxide and provide oxygen for the neighborhood, remove particulate matter produced by Houston Street traffic, and reduce electricity use for air conditioning in the surrounding buildings. Most of all, the dawn redwood at Liz Christy brings cheer to everyone who encounters it, and it serves as an ambassador for greening throughout the city.

Location

Inside the Liz Christy Garden

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