Magnolia grandiflora (Brooklyn)
| Magnolia grandiflora | |
|---|---|
 The magnolia in 2009. | |
| Location | 679 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°41′25.8″N 73°56′23.9994″W / 40.690500°N 73.939999833°W |
| Governing body | Magnolia Tree Earth Center |
| Designated | May 12, 1970 |
  Location of Magnolia grandiflora in New York City | |
The Magnolia grandiflora at 679 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn is one of two trees that are designated a New York City landmark. The specimen is a rare example of a flourishing laurel magnolia growing as far north as New York. The tree was brought as a seedling from North Carolina and planted around 1885 by William Lemken.[1] Beginning in the 1950s, it was protected by Hattie Carthan, who enlisted neighborhood schoolchildren to help raise money to protect the tree, which was threatened by the construction of a parking lot.[1]
After the tree's designation as a landmark, Carthan founded Magnolia Tree Earth Center, a non-profit focused on urban beautification and environmental awareness.[2] The center is housed in the brownstone adjacent to the tree.
See also
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn
- List_of_New_York_City_Designated_Landmarks_in_Queens
- The Weeping Beech
References
- ^ a b Magnolia grandiflora, 679 Lafayette Avenue, Borough of Brooklyn, c. 1885 (PDF)
- ^ Wedderburn, Winton. "New Leadership at Bed Stuy's Magnolia Tree Earth Center". Brooklyn Food Coalition. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
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