10 Trees with a Remarkable History

In the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center, this callery pear tree was discovered amongst the rubble and remains. It was badly scorched and only a single branch remained living, but rescuers immediately saw the significance of this survivor tree.

The tree was revived by workers at the Arthur Ross Nursery, and in December 2010, the tree was moved to the memorial site at Ground Zero.

In an instant, the atomic blast killed 80,000 people and wiped out 12 square km of the city. 1,700m from the hypocenter, this willow was just outside the circle of near-certain death. The trunk was burned and the canopy destroyed. But the tree grew again.

This tree is an anomaly. According to an 1890 article in the Athens Weekly Banner, this tree was given ownership of itself and all land within 8 feet, by its former owner, William H. Jackson, some 60 years earlier. Legal or not, this had been adhered to by the townsfolk.

Found in the grounds of King's Inns, Dublin, this London Plane tree has spent much of the past century slowly growing around and 'eating' a cast iron bench. For decades it has entertained tourists, and it's now designated a historic monument.

Legends holds that the ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates taught beneath the boughs of this plane tree, now protected by scaffolding. Sadly, this tree is no more than 500 years old, but it may be a direct descendent of the original, said to have stood here for 2400 years.