New Tree Life and Tree Loss

The MillionTreesNYC initiative continues!   You may have seen some new street tree plantings around Bed Stuy this week.  To report a couple of sightings, a Japanese Zelkova that was planted on Van Buren Street at Throop Avenue…

…and a row of Bald Cypress trees now serve a purpose on Madison Street between Ralph and Patchen Avenues, where trees were scarce on that side of the street.

There’s also a Zelkova tree that was planted in front of Bridge Street AWME, on the corner of Stuyvesant Avenue and Jefferson Avenue.  You’ll also find a few new trees on Hancock Street, between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues.

I’m a huge tree zealot!   As I travelled around the hood, I was proud to see the youngins.  Yet within minutes my celebration of tree life turned into sadness.  I noticed that four healthy Ginkgo trees that were planted earlier this year were removed.  They were planted along side of a recently built corner home on Putnam Avenue at Patchen Avenue. 

I can only conclude that the homeowner had them removed.  I recall in the late summer, the owner removed some shrubs and an Ailanthus tree (you can see the tall stump on the property towards the left).   Homeowners do have the right to choose whether they would like a tree planted around their property.  Wishful thinking is that the trees were safely uprooted and planted elsewhere (sigh).  Anyone else spotted a new tree planting or two?