Sapling of Famous 9/11 Tree Planted in Asser-Levy Park

There were few things that survived the deadly terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. One of them was a callery pear tree that came to be known as the Survivor Tree. A month after the towers fell, recovery workers discovered the tree amidst the rubble. It was severely damaged, with twisted roots and snapped branches, but it was still alive. Workers removed it from the rubble and placed it under the care of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, where it made a full recovery. It now stands at Ground Zero as part of the recently opened 9/11 Memorial.

This past April, more than 13 years after the Survivor Tree was pulled from the wreckage, one of its saplings was planted in Asser-Levy Park. Barely more than a twig, the sapling was grown from the seeds of the pear tree. The planting is part of a September 11 memorial at Asser-Levy Park.

The sapling is also part of a much larger effort from scientists to preserve the seeds of the Survivor Tree. These seedlings were raised and carefully tended to in order to distribute them to communities throughout the nation. In 2013, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum first began this process and has distributed three saplings each year to honor those lost on the day of the attacks.

The Asser-Levy sapling is only the second one to find its home in New York City. Other saplings have been relocated as far away as Fort Hood, Texas, as well as Boston. They are meant to serve as a reminder of the tree that stood at the original site and was gazed upon by so many who lost their lives that fateful day.

Although memorials have been created in the wake of 9/11, some still suffer from very real health effects of their immediately after the attacks. If you continue to deal with these issues, consult the dedicated New York injury attorneys at Barasch, McGarry Salzman & Penson to learn more about your legal options.