Our Arboretum
In January 2018, Madison Square Park was awarded level 1 accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. This program approves Madison Square Park as an internationally recognized arboretum, or tree museum. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism. Madison Square Park is also now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.

Madison Square Park’s arboretum consists of seven-acres of urban trees. Of the 322 trees in the park, two are historic English elms that pre-date the Park’s construction in 1850. The Park has a notable number of surviving American elms and a redbud collection consisting of 32 specimens. 35 trees will be marked throughout the Park, allowing Park users to take self-guided tours.

Take a self-guided tour of the park’s arboretum here.

The Application
Besides providing the proper resources for sustaining a large number of trees as well as free educational programming, the arboretum application required the Conservancy to have and mark a minimum number of 25 different kinds of tree species. 30 trees are now marked within the park.

Tree Conservation Plan
The Conservancy has also completed a tree succession plan which outlines the history of Madison Square Park’s trees and lays out a comprehensive plan for planting future trees in the park focusing on species diversity, increasing fall color, and climate change preparation.