Hangman's Elm — Attraction in New York

Like history itself, the story of English elms in New York hasn’t been straight-forward. As the international cousin of the American elm, they have been referred to as the foreign elm, with debates about whether they’re native or nonnative to New York. This specific English elm, however, speaks for itself, standing on the corner of Washington Square as the tallest and oldest English elm in the city. Historical records suggest it’s over 300 years old, making it possibly the oldest of all trees across the five boroughs, dating back to a time before the city as we know it existed -- an era when this patch of land was part of a vast forest expanse known as Mannahatta, managed by beavers, black bear, wolves, coyote and the Lenape people. A time when the wild housed the original skyscrapers of the land: hickory, chestnut, oak, sycamore, tulip and elm.

Now lovingly referred to by many native New Yorkers as Elma, this English elm has found its place within the hearts and history of the city, as English elms throughout the country have hybridized with the American elm and created an unknown number of elm species. And yet, the hardships continue: the Dutch elm disease, which eliminated up to one hundred million elms in the past eighty years, forces the Department of Parks & Recreation to evaluate each elm annually, amputating any limbs that might be infected before the disease spreads to the rest of the tree body.

Through these adversities, misunderstandings continue: for a period of time, Elma had a suggestive limb that stretched out from its trunk, inviting rumors that the branch was used for hangings during the American Revolution. Although historians have debunked this, many still refer to the tree as the Hangman’s Elm.

Despite the mislabeling and ongoing threats from disease, Elma continues to grow into and beyond the ideas and words we have to describe it. And yet, still we try. In his 19th century journal, Thoreau wrote: “Many times I thought that if the particular tree, commonly an elm, under which I was walking or riding were the only like it in the country, it would be worth a journey across the...

Today I learned something neq about this infamous tree...wow the history that's goes with this tree...and also the gravesite...and all those dead people lost...

One of the oldest trees in NYC. Was planted here a long time ago. Evidently, people were hung on the limbs of this tree a...