NYC Plants 9,500 Trees In One Season, Setting Decade Record As Heat Risks Rise

NEW YORK, NY— New York City planted more than 9,500 trees across streets and parks during the fall and winter planting season, marking the city’s largest single-season tree expansion in a decade, according to NYC Parks.

The new trees rose from sidewalks and park lawns in neighborhoods most exposed to extreme heat, part of a shift in strategy that concentrates planting block by block instead of dispersing trees citywide.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the approach allowed crews to move faster and place trees where shade gaps and heat vulnerability overlap.

The planting surge came through the Neighborhood Tree Planting program, which coordinates procurement, planting schedules and site selection months in advance. Parks staff worked with nurseries to grow a larger inventory of trees ahead of the season, harvesting them in the spring and maintaining them through the summer so crews could begin planting immediately once conditions allowed.

“In a city like ours, trees serve many purposes: a natural filter to clean our air, shade on a scorching day, a quiet place to sit and read,” Mamdani said. “Trees are part of the basic infrastructure of daily life — and as our climate warms, they are essential to the health and future of our city.”

Parks officials said the effort reflects mounting urgency as heat-related deaths continue to outpace other weather emergencies. City health data estimates that about 350 New Yorkers die prematurely each summer from heat exposure.

“New Yorkers rely on our trees to provide vital shade, and with climate change leading to more frequent, intense heat, the need is more prevalent than ever,” Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura said. “Our trees deliver a massive environmental benefit to the city, and this record-breaking season shows NYC Parks is facing the challenge of climate resiliency head on, keeping New York livable and prepared across every borough.”

The new plantings expanded canopy cover in neighborhoods historically short on shade, including East New York, Brownsville, Bushwick and East Flatbush in Brooklyn; Williamsbridge, Soundview and Mott Haven in the Bronx; Washington Heights and West Harlem in Manhattan; and Elmhurst, St. Albans and South Ozone Park in Queens.

The city aims to reach 30 percent canopy coverage, a benchmark outlined in PlaNYC, by continuing the block-by-block strategy and returning to the same neighborhoods until available planting sites are filled before moving on.

New York City maintains more than 7 million trees across parks and streets, representing more than 200 species. Parks officials said the new trees will contribute to cooler temperatures, cleaner air, stronger stormwater absorption and long-term neighborhood resilience as they mature.

Residents can support the city’s tree canopy by watering street trees, clearing debris from tree beds and logging stewardship activity through the NYC Tree Map.