The East 17th Northern Red Oak

By Joel Berson 


On September 14, 2017, a mighty Northern red oak that has overlooked Fiske Terrace since it was originally laid out was removed from the mall in front of 840 East 17th street. This massive tree rose over 80 feet, higher than the adjacent six-story apartment house. It was an impressive 154 inches in circumference. Imagine an observation post at its very top. From such an aerie one could observe over 100 years of evolution and development in Fiske Terrace, houses being built and renovated, the coming of the subway system, and the street life below. At first, horse-drawn carriages and wagons intermingled with a few horseless carriages on our streets. That tree witnessed the blossoming of FT as well as grand old houses torn down and replaced with more modern structures, even a few apartment houses. The comings and goings along our homey Avenue H commercial strip were at its feet, as well as traffic to and from our beloved Avenue H subway station. (Some of us recall being warmed by its pot belly stove. All of us love that the station has been restored to its current glamorous condition.)

where the oak once stood

What now stands where its mighty trunk rose is 100 square feet of mulch covering the breadth of this tree’s massive scaffolding root structure. Sadly, over the past few years the tree manifested many signs of decline. The crown, composed of the large branches one sees at the top of every deciduous tree, gradually was reduced to approximately 25% all of its original healthy size. Branches that once supported tens of thousands of leaves became bare. More importantly during the past few months, a few large branches started to break and plummet 50 feet, presenting a danger to all below. The Parks Department’s Forestry Division would quickly arrive to make the street passable and tidy up the fallen branches. That initiated a more thorough evaluation of the tree’s health. That inspection revealed extensive irreversible and untreatable fungal activity at its base. On a mature tree of such size, this essentially represents a death sentence. There was no alternative to removal of the tree for everyone’s safety. Indeed, school children and parents gather at that corner of E. 17th St.mornings and afternoons waiting for their buses.

Alas, a mighty silent observer of Fiske Terrace’s history has passed from our midst. The cleanup has been done, and the stump removed, leaving an 80-foot area that is perfect for future plantings. Two new street trees could easily fit. Those newly planted trees would have some welcoming neighbors just yards away - redbuds, magnolias, birches and a London plane along the adjacent sidewalk. And 100 feet closer to the LIRR tracks grows a sister of the oak we just lost. Somewhat shorter and with a 129-inch girth, she seems basically healthy with almost a full crown of leaves.

CB 14 is aware of our recent loss and knows that the FTA hopes that that open space will soon be rewarded with some new young trees to grace our beautiful neighborhood