The Survivor Tree Blooms at Ground Zero

After an especially cold winter, New Yorkers have been more eager than ever to embrace the rituals of spring this month—jogs through the greenery of Central Park, strolls along the High Line, walks across the Brooklyn Bridge. And further downtown, there’s a new kind of seasonal tradition. Every spring, a solitary tree on the 9/11 Memorial Plaza blooms, attracting the attention of tourists and locals alike. Coming to life before any of the other plantings on the plaza, this callery pear tree—which remarkably survived the September 11, 2001, attacks—has become a symbol of the rebirth of lower Manhattan.

Discovered in the rubble at Ground Zero in October 2001 and dubbed the Survivor Tree, it was badly burned and broken, with little chance of recovery. Removed from the area and nursed back to health by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the tree was returned to the plaza five years ago and now stands as a symbol of hope next to the South Pool.

With its bright blooms heralding spring every year, the Survivor Tree is a reminder of resilience and pride—much like the new World Trade Center itself.

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