Magnolia grandiflora (Brooklyn)
The Magnolia grandiflora is a historic tree at 679 Lafayette Avenue in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City. The specimen is a rare example of a flourishing laurel magnolia growing as far north as New York, having been brought as a seedling from North Carolina and planted around 1885 by William Lemken.[1] It is one of two trees that were made New York City designated landmarks; the other was the now-euthanized Weeping Beech in Flushing, Queens.
| Magnolia grandiflora | |
|---|---|
 The magnolia in 2009 | |
| Location | 679 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40.6905°N 73.9467°W |
| Governing body | Magnolia Tree Earth Center |
New York City Landmark | |
| Designated | May 12, 1977 |
| Reference no. | 0957 |
  Location of Magnolia grandiflora in New York City | |
Beginning in the 1970s, 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 was made as a landmark, Carthan founded Magnolia Tree Earth Center, a nonprofit focused on urban beautification and environmental awareness.[2] The center is housed in the brownstone adjacent to the tree.
References
- "Magnolia grandiflora, 679 Lafayette Avenue" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. 1977-05-12. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
- Wedderburn, Winton. "New Leadership at Bed Stuy's Magnolia Tree Earth Center". Brooklyn Food Coalition. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.