Trees

Sponsored by Representative Jerry Nadler of New York City planted on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This tree replaces a mature 105 year old tree that was lost the previous year. The swamp white oak was chosen among numerous possibilities to be planted throughout the 9/11 memorial in lower Manhattan, over 400 in number were planted.

This tree sponsored by Representative Debbie Wasserman Shultz was grown from the original horse chestnut tree that grew behind the Frank residence in Amsterdam. Anne who became a holocaust victim mentioned in her diary the flying seagulls and the flowering chestnut that were the only thing that she could see through a small window while confined in the attic, the only connection with the outside world for nearly 18 months. This tree is a widely used ornamental in its native Europe because of its large showy flowers.  It was formerly a popular large tree in eastern U.S. and not as popular today as it requires a large property and it is afflicted with a leaf blotch disease that amounts to a significant cosmetic problem.

Morton, a journalist and avid tree lover, served as Secretary of Agriculture in the Cleveland Administration in the 1890's. Initiated the first Arbor Day in 187 where over 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. His son was founder of the Morton Salt company and creator of the Morton Arboretum. This tree was planted in 1932 and the sponsor is unknown. Black Walnut is an important forest species in the East and Midwest and is highly prized species for the production of furniture, cabinets and gunstocks. Because of the messy fruits, which have a strong stain, and other characteristics makes a poor ornamental tree.

This tree, planted in 1966 commemorates the 200th birthday of Cherokee Chief Sequoyah who is credited with taking the traditional spoken word and developing a written language. The chief is rendered in a bronze plaque in the Library of Congress and represents one of two statues from Oklahoma in statuary Hall. This tree is one of three growing on the Capitol grounds and is well dislocated from its natural range in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. It prefers cool summers and moist but well drained soils conditions that do not exist in the Washington region. The sequoia is the largest living tree species.

Sponsored by Senator Susan Collins from Maine November 2014. In 1955, African – American teenager Emmitt Till of Chicago was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he reportedly flirted with a white woman in a small grocery store. Four days later he was abducted, beaten and shot with his body discovered in the Tallahatchie river. An all-white jury acquitted two white men of the murder. Till's death and open –casket funeral, insisted by his mother, galvanized the emerging Civil Rights Movement.

Janet Langhart Cohen, author of the play 'Anne (Frank) and Emmett', commented at the dedication ceremony that the patchy mottled bark of the sycamore was a metaphor for America's diversity.

This tree was planted in 2008 on the tenth anniversary of the shooting at the Capitol (July 24, 1998) that cost them their lives as they served to protect the Capitol and the Congress.

Planted by the Ladies of the Senate in 1968 the Kousa dogwood flowers later than are native dogwoods with a showy flower and red globose fruits in the fall. Additionally is has mottled ornamentally interesting bark. "Lady Bird" Johnson one of our most accomplished first ladies is widely known for her interest in horticulture and her initiative in the mid 1960's to beautify America highways, and parks. A large amount of environmental legislation was signed into law during the Johnson administration. Today the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center continues her leadership in sustainable landscapes through research and education.

The species is one of the largest growing in the mid-Atlantic area and was chosen by Olmsted for this reason to line the East Capitol Street entrance to the Capitol. Named because of the tulip shaped flower the tree is not recommended for residential properties because of large eventual size and somewhat messy habit. This particular tree is a seedling of the 'Liberty Tree' that used to grow, until a few years ago, at St. Johns College in Annapolis and was reputed to be the oldest surviving in the country. 'Liberty Trees' were trees that witnessed important historical events and speeches of patriots leading up to the revolutionary war. Thomas Paine wrote the famous poem 'Liberty Tree'. This particular tree was transplanted to this location to make way for the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center.

This white oak is a third generation off-spring of the famous 'Charter Oak' in Hartford, Connecticut. Seedlings were attained from the Connecticut State Forestry Department and grown for several years at the Botanic Garden and planted in 2008 by Senator Christopher Dodd. According to tradition, Connecticut's Royal Charter of 1662 was hidden within the hollow of the tree to thwart its confiscation by the English governor-general. The oak became a symbol of American independence and is commemorated on the 1999 Connecticut state quarter. This tree suffered storm damage from the derecho in June 2012. Today the tree has grown over it scars and new branches are growing out on the west side.

Planted in 1913 for Speaker of the House of Representative Joseph Cannon who served 46 years as a republican representative from Illinois and was Speaker from 1903 to 1911 often considered to be one of the most dominant Speakers. The red oak is one of the best oaks for urban environments often used as a street tree in the New England and Midwestern states.

Originally planted in 1952 this ring of trees on the Senate Oval memorialized the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa who died on the cruiser U.S.S. Juneau, which was sunk in the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. Their parents had petitioned the Navy to keep the boys together which was against Navy policy. They became WWII heroes with two movies made about their lives. Their  parents and sister traveled the country to support the cause by selling war bonds and christening new ships. As the original crabapples trees were failing in 2005 cuttings were taken and  grown on by the Botanic Garden and replanted in their original locations in 2008. The most significant ornamental feature are the beautiful light pink flowers appearing in April that initially start in bud as crimson.

Sponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee to honor Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai of Kenya. With advanced degrees in biology she was both an environmentalist and a political activist. In 1977 at the age of 37 she led a national movement to reforest Kenya. Her organization is credited with planting about 30 million trees and making it a project for as many as 30,000 under-employed women. Her organization successfully protested the development of a city park that drew national attention and she was an avid opponent of the Daniel Moi dictatorship. Once overthrown she earned a seat in government. The tree is a medium sized tree and its most notable ornamental characteristic are the showy yellow flowers in early summer. A fast grower and tolerant of urban conditions it is unfortunately an invasive in many area of the east coast.