MillionTreesNYC Plants 200 Trees on Coney Island’s Surf Avenue

October 19, 2012 by Tricia

Hetzi Juniper Trees on Surf Avenue in front of Luna Park, Coney Island. October 18, 2012. Photo © me-myself-i/Tricia Vita via flickr

Coney Island now has more trees than rides! The greening of Coney Island’s Surf Avenue from Sea Gate to West 5th Street is under way with 200 trees being planted by New York City Parks and Recreation. The trees in the amusement area are Hetzi Junipers and other species west of MCU Park. The tree planting crew started two weeks ago in the west end of Coney Island and worked their way east to the amusement area. This week curbside trees were planted on the south side of Surf Avenue in front of Nathan’s, the Eldorado Bumper Cars, Coney Island USA and Luna Park. Yesterday at a bus stop on the north side of Surf Avenue, the trees were planted adjacent to an empty lot instead of curbside, as seen in the photo below. Just for the record, the ride count in Coney Island is now at 64, according to ATZ’s latest ride census.

Coney Island is one of several New York City neighborhoods slated for block tree planting this fall. The Parks Department selects blocks with few or no trees, planting on both sides of the street. The street tree program is part of MillionTreesNYC, a public-private initiative with the goal of planting and caring for one million new trees across the City’s five boroughs over the next decade. According to the program’s website, they’ve reached 612,625 trees and are counting.

Hetzi Juniper Trees Being Planted on the north side of Surf Avenue. October 18, 2012. Photo © me-myself-i/Tricia Vita via flickr

UPDATE November 15, 2012:

Sadly, just a few weeks after the trees were planted, most were uprooted by Hurricane Sandy…

Posted in News | Tagged Coney Island, greening, Hetzi Juniper, MillionTreesNYC, New York City Parks, Parks Department, street tree, Surf Avenue | 5 Comments

5 Responses

on October 19, 2012 at 10:05 am | Reply Lisanne!

Hetzi Junipers can get huge. I hope plans are in place for pruning them on a regular basis.

This blogger, landscape architect, particularly despises them.

http://whisperingcraneinstitute.wordpress.com/2007/05/18/juniperus-chinensis-hetzii/

I’d hate to see Surf Avenue totally buried in Juniper.
on October 19, 2012 at 10:34 am | Reply Tricia

Here’s a descrip of Juniperus chinensis ‘Hetzi Columnaris’ from a nursery website (http://www.evergreenplantnursery.com/Hetzi-Columnar-Juniper-p/juncol1.htm). I’m guessing this tree was selected for Coney because it “withstands a variety of harsh conditions”!

A very large, upright juniper cultivar with a very rigid, prickly feel to it. The foliage is a nice green color – more green with a hint of gray to it in the winter. Commonly used as a privacy screen or windbreak. Heavy fruit/cone/berry producer, and has very aromatic foliage when rubbed or crushed. Enjoys full to part sun, and withstands a variety of harsh conditions. Good growth rate. Very hardy variety!!! Makes an excellent screen / border planting. Good numbers of bluish purple berries in winter provide seasonal interest, and are a good contrast against the deep gray/green foliage. Performs exceptionally well in the high heat & humidity of the southeast.

Plant Facts & Specifications

Mature Height: 10-15 ft ( some reports of up to 20 ft or so after about 15-20 yrs )

Mature Width: 5-8 ft

Growth rate: Moderate to fast ( 6″-18″ avg per yr )

Hardiness Zones: 3-9 ( if unsure of your zone, please use zone finder below )

Sun Exposure: Full sun preferred, but will tolerate some partial shade as well. Best foliage density, growth rate, and color in full sun.

Soil Preference: Average to slightly acidic & sandy – well drained. Will adapt to a fairly wide range of soil types. Adequate drainage is a must though.
on October 19, 2012 at 10:56 am | Reply lisanne001

It should be fine as long as it is properly pruned. In the soil environment of Coney Island its possible that tree growth will be slowed slightly. In my yard, which is only a mile or so north of the ocean, it would grow tremendously fast.
on January 1, 2013 at 11:17 pm | Reply Capt_Nemo

That last photo, that shows them planting trees away from the curb, against a fence? Well, with the help of Hurricaine Sandy, they realized how stupid it was to open the ground there to plant trees right next to where a building could be built, so they re-cemented the openings.
on January 2, 2013 at 9:44 am | Reply Tricia

It was disturbing to see the uprooted trees left for dead for weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Hope the new ones enjoy a kinder fate