Bronx Trees

2011 Elder Avenue (6) New York City Transit

“Bronx Trees” consists of 20 hand-wrought steel sculptural grilles, representing a number of the native tree species of the Bronx River area. Installed within the platform windscreen, the grilles provide views to the buildings, streets and neighborhood below. Branches and leaves lend a treetop feeling to the view.

The southbound platform displays grilles based on leaves and branches of the Shagbark Hickory tree (Carya ovate) and the Sassafras (Sassafras albidum). The northbound platform includes grilles based on leaves and branches of Sumac (Rhus typhina), Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), Tulip (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) trees. These trees were common in the forest that covered the Bronx until the mid-19th century when land development began for the creation of farms, highways, and industry. Today, various local organizations are working to replant native plants, revive the waterways and bring back a bit of the forest.