Littleleaf Linden at Woodlawn Cemetery

Borough: Bronx
Community Board: 12
Designated: 2024

Tree Details

Species: Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata)

In 1959, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington purchased a family lot at Woodlawn Cemetery. He was drawn in by the presence of a stately linden tree and even sketched a picture of how he planned to memorialize his family beneath it. In the years following his death, it became the wish of many jazz musicians to be buried as close to Duke as possible. The tree is the center of Woodlawn’s Jazz Corner, where Miles Davis, Lionel Hampton, Max Roach, Illinois Jacquet, Clark Terry, and Coleman Hawkins are memorialized. Thousands of jazz fans visit the site each year.

Location

Woodlawn Cemetery's Jazz Corner, overlooking gravesite of Duke Ellington

Stewardship

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NYC Parks Tree Time maintains the list of Great Trees of New York City. Tree Time, a program of NYC Parks and the City Parks Foundation, was established in 1994 to protect, preserve, and enhance NYC's street, park, and forest trees. If you wish to help preserve and protect our heritage trees, you can make a tax-deductible donation to ensure they receive the specialized care they deserve.

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