The “Furever Tree” is no more.
That cypress tree in the Central Park Ramble that had been a beloved memorial site for grieving pet owners was cut down by the Central Park Conservancy in August.
A spokesperson for the Conservancy told Gothamist that its members had thoroughly assessed the tree, which they determined had died “due to a combination of environmental stress and wear on the landscape.”
According to Gus Saltonstall, the managing editor at the online news site West Side Rag, the tree had been showing signs of distress for at least the past six months. In May, a reader emailed Saltonstall to say that “all the branches were brown and brittle.”
The reader had speculated that the tree’s demise was also tied to pet owners scattering their pets’ ashes around the tree, Saltonstall wrote in his article about the tree’s demise.
Photos posted to social media show a sign by the tree asked pet owners not to spread their pets’ ashes there because they were toxic to the tree.
There is no doubt that the tree’s branches had been subject to wear. Each November around Thanksgiving, grieving owners would hang ornaments commemorating their beloved pets. New additions would be mixed in among those that had survived for years.
Then, in early January, Saltonstall said, the “keepers of the tree” would collect all the ornaments — new and old — and store them until the following November when they would re-adorn the tree. It was a Christmas tree-type effect that drew onlookers for decades and grew in popularity.
With the tree now gone, volunteers told Saltonstall they’re looking into new ways for bereaved pet owners to honor their pets and “keep the spirit of the tree alive.” He said they’re still exploring what that might mean, but he’s fairly certain that any new memorial will likely not be a tree.
A Conservancy spokesperson said they’re hoping for an option that “protects and preserves” the park’s landscape.
