NYC PARKS SETS A RECORD OF 9,500+ TREES PLANTED IN ONE SEASON

NYC Parks today announced a massive milestone in tree canopy expansion with the largest planting season in ten years: more than 9,500 trees were planted during the fall/winter season along the city's streets and in our parks, prioritizing neighborhoods that are most vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat.

This record-breaking season was made possible by the concentrated planting strategy adopted through the Neighborhood Tree Planting program and a highly coordinated effort among the tree procurement team, contract management foresters, and contractors. NYC Parks worked with nurseries to prepare a larger stock of trees well in advance of the fall planting season, harvesting them in the spring and keeping them watered and mulched through the summer to give the agency a head start on achieving this historic milestone. Parks will continue planting again in the spring.

"In a city like ours, trees serve many purposes: a natural filter to clean our air, shade on a scorching day, a quiet place to sit and read. Trees are part of the basic infrastructure of daily life - and as our climate warms, they are essential to the health and future of our city," said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "Because of the tireless work of our Parks Department, New York City is greener today than it was yesterday. That means cleaner air, cooler streets, stronger drainage, and a welcoming place to rest and read in every neighborhood."

"New Yorkers rely on our trees to provide vital shade, and with climate change leading to more frequent, intense heat, the need is more prevalent than ever," said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. "Our trees deliver a massive environmental benefit to the city, and this record-breaking season shows NYC Parks is facing the challenge of climate resiliency head on, keeping New York livable and prepared across every borough.

These newly planted trees will grow and expand the canopy cover in the city, bringing it closer to the goal of 30% canopy coverage as stated in PlaNYC, while providing cleaner air, cooler temperatures, increased flood resiliency, and beauty to all New Yorkers. This successful planting season supports a recent shift in Parks' tree planting strategy, where neighborhoods across the city are "fully stocked" with trees before moving on to the next, prioritizing communities most vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat first. Neighborhoods that will see significant tree planting in Fiscal Year 26 include:

Bronx: Williamsbridge, Concourse Village, Eastchester, Edenwald, Soundview, Morrisania, Mott Haven

Brooklyn: East New York, East Flatbush, Bushwick, Crown Heights, Brownsville

Manhattan: West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights

Queens: St. Albans, South Ozone Park, Sunnyside, Queens Village, Cambria Heights, Elmhurst

Each summer, an estimated 350 New Yorkers die prematurely due to heat, and more Americans die from heat waves in a year than all other natural disasters combined.

New York City is home to more than 7 million trees, including more than 200 species. Trees cool neighborhoods, beautify city streets, soften the hard edges of concrete and brick, and are a source of pride for New Yorkers.

New Yorkers can get involved to make sure our city trees thrive! Sign up for stewardship events via the NYC Parks website, or care for neighborhood trees by watering trees weekly and weeding unwanted plants from tree beds -- and young trees are extra thirsty! Record your tree care activities on the NYC Tree Map at nyc.gov/parks/treemap.