This Red oak was transplanted from the James Madison estate to the park in 1936. It was dedicated by the Fifth Avenue Association, to commemorate the first 100 years of Madison Avenue’s completion. Funnily enough, many historians believe our tree was moved from the Madison estate to make room for a new horse racing track rather than to commemorate Madison Avenue. For those that don’t know, James Madison, was the fourth president of the United States, author of the Bill of Rights and supervisor of the Louisiana Purchase.

Red oaks can be easily transplanted because they do not have long taproots like many other trees. They are also fast growing and reach heights of 90 to 140 feet tall. Their leaves emerge as pinkish-red from the buds, turn deep green in summer, and fiery red in autumn. Under perfect conditions, Red oaks can live upwards of 300–500 years.