Peace Trees, Forests, Groves & Prairies Around the World

Click here for olive trees. Click here for peace gardens. | Click here for peace parks (large & small). | Click here for Peace Tree Day (June 1) created by Mitra Sen. | Click here for a gallery of peace trees.

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T R E E

1682 - Treaty Elm, Sackamaxon, Philadelphia (USA). Unintentional monument. Marked place where proprietor William Penn [1644-1718] signed peace treaty with Delaware Indians. Blew down in a storm on March 5, 1810. "Soon thereafter, a small obelisk was erected on the site. It remained tucked away in the NE corner of a lumber yard...until actions were taken to create Penn Treaty Park (qv) which was officially opened on October 28, 1893. An Elm Tree descendant was planted there on May 6, 2010."

T R E E

September 11, 1765 - Liberty Tree, Washington & Essex Streets (one block east of Boylston Station & the Boston Common), Boston, Massachusetts (USA). " At the time of the revolution, a great elm tree stood in front of a grocery store here. It had wide spreading beautiful branches, and for many years was the center of business in Boston’s original South End. On August 14, 1765, this particular tree was selected for hanging the effigies of those men who favored passage of the detested Stamp Act. On September 11th, a 3.5’ by 2.5’ copper plate, with large golden letters, was placed on its trunk bearing the inscription The Tree of Liberty. Thereafter, nearly all the great political meetings of the Sons of Liberty, were held in this square. The British made the Liberty Tree an object of ridicule. British soldiers tarred and feathered a man named Ditson, and forced him to march in front of the tree. During the siege of Boston, about the last day of August 1775, a party of Loyalists led by Job Williams, defiantly cut it down. The Liberty Tree was planted in 1646 and stood for 129 years. A tablet bearing the inscription "Sons of Liberty, 1766" now marks the spot of the historic landmark.

T R E E

c1862-Early 1930's - Peace Tree, US Botanic Garden, Washington, DC (USA). Overcup oak marking the spot where Kentucky Senator John J. Crittenden [1787-1863] made an address in an effort to avert the Civil War. Transplanted about 1920 to make way for the Grant Memorial [image]. "Probably succumbed in the early 1930's when the Botanic Garden was finally leveled..." Crittenden had sons fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War & tried to forge a compromise on the eve of war, but it was narrowly rejected. Info from Savage (2009), pp. 94, 181-6.

T R E E

1871 - Friedenslinde / Peace Linden Tree, "Our Lady" Protestant Church, Town Square, Frickenhausen, near Stuttgart (Germany). Translation of plaque: "Nature Monument and Symbol of Peace / This linden tree is a protected natural monument. Primary purpose is securing and maintaining it as typical for the landscape. The top of the tree is of particular importance. / This linden tree was planted in 1871 in memory of the end of the war and peace with France. That is why it is called the 'Peace Linden.' Commentary: "Perhaps I am too cynical, but I strongly suspect that the tree was originally a Siegeslinde - "Victory Linden" and was only later, after WW-II, re-interpreted. But I am sending an e-mail to the local pastor. Maybe he can tell me more."

T R E E

July 16, 1898 - Arbol de la Paz / Tree of Peace, Santiago de Cuba (Cuba). "On July 16, after sustaining more than 1,700 causalities the Spanish Army agreed to an unconditional surrender of all 23,500 troops that had been scattered about the city." "Armistice signed at the Arbol de La Paz (a large ceiba tree) by U.S. and Spanish forces. The Cuban Liberation Army did not participate in the act."

T R E E

April 26, 1910 - Peace Tree, Organization of American States (OAS), 17th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "Prominent among the lush vegetation of the OAS patio. A hybrid of fig and rubber. Planted by President William Howard Taft [1857-1930] during the building's dedication ceremonies in 1910." Image shows John Barret (Director General), Bishop Harding, Amb. de la Barra (México), Andrew Carnegie, President Taft, Philander O. Knox (Secretary of State), Senator Elihu Root, James Cardinal Gibbons & Frederick D. Owen. On April 26, 2010, President Barak Obama "planted a new 'Peace Tree' as a symbol of the OAS’s renewed dedication to its core values of good faith and solidarity for the next 100 years." Left made 01Nov1011 by EWL.

T R E E

Date? - "Blown up Tree," Saint Petersburg (Russia). Nobel monument on the bank of the River Neva. "Born in Stockholm, Alfred Nobel [1833-1896] went with his family in 1842 to Saint Petersburg, where his father (who had invented modern plywood) started a 'torpedo' works. When Alfred was 18, he went to the United States to study chemistry for four years."

T R E E

November 11, 1918 - "International World War Peace Tree," Evansville, Indiana (USA). Caption: "Charles and Beth Skeels stand under a shady linden, designated the 'peace tree' by German immigrants who planted it as a seedling on her family's property north of Evansville at the end of World War I." Hale and hearty when visited in September 2009.

T R E E

November 11, 1918 - Peace Tree, Bromwell Elementary School, 2500 East Fourth Avenue, Denver, Colorado (USA). "Planted by Bromwell students to mark the end of World War I (part of many celebrations held nationwide to mark the first Armistice Day)... In 1994, the tree was struck by Dutch Elm disease [upper right image]... Bromwell’s PTSA raised money for chainsaw sculptor David Mitchell to carve the trunk into the shape of an eagle, our school mascot, so that the two main branches became wide-spread wings. The head was lowered, as though the eagle was carrying an olive branch, a well-known symbol of peace. The carving was about fifteen feet high [bottom image]... Finally, in 2006, it became clear that the Peace Tree, now called “The Eagle Tree” by our youngest students, was decaying from within and could topple and hurt someone. Our principal made the difficult decision to have it destroyed. /// It is somewhat sad that this important landmark is no longer a part of our community. In another way, it may be fitting. After all, Armistice Day is now remembered by very few, and fewer still are the people who actually experienced the horrors or the devastation of 'the war to end all wars.' Time moves on, and that is particularly true on the school playground where children run and laugh, and grow so quickly. The Peace Tree is gone now, and there are few clues to where it once stood. We have a few photographs and illustrations made by children [upper left image]. Otherwise, there is only the story."

T R E E

November 11, 1923 - Oak Tree, Arlington, Virginia (USA). "This is the memorial tree to the boys of Arlington killed in World War I. Of course, back then they only had one world war so it didn't have a number. It says the tree was planted in 1923. It doesn't seem old enough. I wonder if it was replaced."

T R E E

April 26, 1937 - Gernikako Arbola / Oak of Guernica, Guernika-Lumo (Spain). Unintentional monument. Survived the bombing of Guernica on April 26, 1937.

T R E E S

1930's - Friendship Trees. A tradition of Rotary founder Paul Harris. Among the cities in which he planted Friendship Trees are Berlin (Germany), Tallin (Latvia), Helsingfors (Finland), Gothenburg & Stockholm (Sweden), Bergen (Norway), Shanghai, (China), Tokyo (Japan), Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne & Sydney (Australia), Auckland, Dunedin and Wellington (New Zealand), Mexico City (Mexico), Panama City (Panama), Bogota (Colombia), Lima (Peru), Santiago & Valparaiso (Chile), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay), & Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo (Brazil). (Source "My Road To Rotary.") Photo shows Harris planting a Friendship Tree in Newcastle in 1935.

G R O V E

1955 - International Peace Grove, Tilden Park (via Inspiration Point), Berkeley, California (USA). A Rotary Club project.

T R E E

August 6, 1967 - Cherry Tree, Tavistock Square, London (England). "Planted by the mayor of Camden in memory of the victims of Hiroshima. On each anniversary, meetings are held to remember the victims of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan. In 1986 to mark the UN International Year of Peace, a field maple was planted by the League of Jewish Women." One of 21 peace monuments named by the PPU website. Named in "A Peace Trail Through London" by Valerie Flessati (1998).

W I N D O W

1976 - Vitrail de la paix / Peace Window, Chapelle des Cordeliers, Sarrebourg (France). Créé par Marc Chagall [1887-1985]. Compare Chagall's peace window at the United Nations in New York City (USA).

W I N D O W

1976 - "Peace" or "Tree of Life," Centre Pompidou, Museum of Modern Art, Paris (France). Definitive dummy for Sarrebourg (France).

G R O V E

July 8, 1976 - Jerusalem Grove, Battery Park, New York City, New York (USA). "Grove of 11 Blue Atlas Cedars (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca') with inscribed horizontal marker. A gift from the City of Jersualem" (Israel). A US bicentennial project?

T R E E

M O S A I C

November 7, 1977 - Reformers Tree Memorial, North Section, Hyde Park, London (England). "Commemorate the Reformers Tree which was burnt down during the Reform League riots in 1866, after which the remaining stump became a notice board for political demonstration and a gathering point for Reform League meetings. On 7 November 1977 Prime Minister James Callaghan planted a new oak tree on the spot where the Reformers Tree was thought to have stood."

T R E E

April 10, 1986 - Tree of Peace, Shasta Hall, California State University, Sacramento, California (USA). Original plaque (shown in image) given on Indigenous People's Day (Oct. 12, 2009) to Ensuring Native Indian Traditions club (ENIT) by E. Nathan Jones, CSU Theatre & Dance Department. Its inscription: "TREE OF PEACE. Dedicated by Chief Jake Swamp of the Mohawk Nation, April 10, 1986. 'When I look at this tree, May I be reminded that I laid down my weapons forever.'" Information courtesy of Trevor Super.

T R E E

1987 - Portrait of Bert Röling, "De Boom van Kennis / The Tree of Knowledge" (muurschildering / mural), Auditorium, Academy Building, University of Groningen, College Square, Groningen (Netherlands). Bert Röling [1906-1985] was a Dutch jurist who helped found the International Peace Research Association (IPRA) in 1964. Huge mural painted by his son Mathijs Röling & by Wout Muller. Lower right corner includes Röling in white hair (similar to his official portrait in the university's senate room) & what appear to be three students.

T R E E

April 1988 - - The Peace Tree Sculpture, Garden for Peace #1, Swan Woods Trail, Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia (USA). 14-foot life-size bronze statue created by Gia (Georgi?) Japaridze, an artist from sister city Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia).

F O R E S T

Early 1990's - E. F. Schumacher Forest Garden, Dartington Estate, Totnes, Devon, England (UK). "Perhaps one of the important examples of perennial agriculture, and a demonstration that this is a viable and productive method of food production in the cool temeprate climate of Britain."

T R E E

June 4, 1991 - Sri Chinmoy Peace Tree, Beliardstraat, Leopoldpark, Brussels (Belgium). Plaque: "This tree is dedicated to humanity’s aspiration for World Peace. From man’s inner realisation of peace, World Peace will grow and mankind will become a Oneness-World Peace-Family. In this process the oneness of the European nations is a significant achievement, therefore this tree is also dedicated to the United Europe. This peace tree has been planted and inaugurated on the occasion on the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run on June 4 ,1991."

T R E E

About 1992 - Live Oak Tree from the Alamo, Nagashino Castle ruins, Nagashinojou (Japan). "A living symbol of the friendship that links the Japanese and American peoples." "A grassy field is all that remains where the castle once stood."

M A R K E R

September 1914 - Japanese Monument to the Heroes of the Alamo, Alamo, San Antonio, Texas (USA). "Shigetaka Shiga [1863-1927], a Japanese geography professor, presented the monument to the Alamo. Etched on its face is a poem he composed that compares the Alamo and its heroes to a famous incident in Japanese history, the Siege of Nagashino Castle. Fought in 1575, the siege involved circumstances similar to those that took place at the Alamo in 1836."

T R E E

1993 - - "Peace Tree," Shaheed-e-milat Road, Karachi (Pakistan). "24 foot tall metallic sculpture. Commissioned by Pakistan State Life. Scupted and erected by Karachi artist Anjum Ayaz."

1993? - "Tree of Peace," Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York (USA). Luminous glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly. The casino belongs to the Oneida Indian Nation. See Chihuly's "Flame of Liberty" at the National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia (2000).

T R E E

1994 - Ginkgo Tree, Hosen-ji Temple, Tera-machi, Naka-ku (near Nishihongan-ji & Zensho-ji temples), Hiroshima (Japan) "About 1130 m away from the hypocenter. Appeared to bud after the blast (the temple itself was destroyed). In 1994 it was decided to leave it there and adjust the temple to it, so now the main building has stairs in front divided into left-and right hand sides, protecting the Ginkgo inside this U-shape. Engraved on it 'No more Hiroshima' and people's prayers for peace. This tree has thus become an international symbol. Estimated planting 1850." NB: Same website also shows five other surviving "A-bombed trees." Tip from Gerard Lössbroek.

T R E E

April 19, 1995 - Survivor Tree, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (USA). Unintentioanl monument. "An American elm which survived the 4,000 pound bomb that killed 168 and injured hundreds just yards away. When hundreds of community citizens, family members of those who were killed, survivors and rescue workers came together to write the Memorial Mission Statement, one of its resolutions dictated that 'one of the components of the Memorial must be the Survivor Tree located on the south half of the Journal Record Building block.'"

May 18, 1995 - Museum of Peacekeeping Operations, Dzerzinsky Street 20–57, Solnechnogorsk (Russia). Image shows planting of a Peace Tree at the museum.

T R E E

1996 - "Wish Tree for Peace," Akasaka Hikawa Shrine, Tokyo (Japan). A ginkgo tree which is 400 years old and grows branches and leaves splendidly even now, although it has a huge hole in its trunk as a result of an air bombing during WW-II. "Wish Tree," a project to wish for peace, [has been] placed around this ginkgo tree. After the spectators write their wishes on white pieces of paper and tie them onto the branches, the messages will be sent to Yoko Ono and will be stored in the Peace Monument.

T R E E

October 4, 1997 - Gandhi Tree of Knowledge, Shapiro Undergraduate Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA). "A memorial to Gandhi's life & teachings. Result of the joint effort of the Indian American Student Association & Project Serve. Assistant Provost & Director of the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives John Matlock, who [attended the dedication], stressed that activism can appear in a variety of forms & that students can make it a daily part of their lives."

G R O V E

February 8, 1998 - Peace Grove, Perth, Western Australia (Australia). Honoring Nobel Peace Prize laureates Anwar Sadat & Yatzhan Rabin.

T R E E

C A F E T E R I A July 31, 2002 - Frank Sinatra Cafeteria, Mount Scopus Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem (Israel). "A member of a terrorist cell detonated a bomb during lunch hour when the cafeteria was crowded with staff & students. Nine people - five Israelis, three Americans & one person with dual French-American citizenship - were killed and more than 70 wounded." The angled tree is an artistic installation in remembrance of the attack.

G R O V E

2003 - Forest Grove of the Nations, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem (Israel). Just below Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Image shows the president of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Christofias, planting an olive tree after his visit to Yad Vashem on March 15, 2011. "Efi Stenzler, World Chairman of the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), invited the president of Cyprus to join the other heads of state who had already planted an olive tree in the Grove of the Nations, as a symbol of peace, partnership & brotherhood between the nations of the world. 'In the Jewish tradition, the most sublime expression of friendship is planting a tree. When our father Abraham wanted to make a covenant with Avimelech, the king of Gerar, he planted a tree in Beersheba,' Stenzler said... The Grove of the Nations is part of a unique project to preserve and develop the Jerusalem Forest. The grove was founded in 2003 as a joint project of KKL-JNF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the 'Olive Tree Route' to promote intercultural dialogue, agriculture & peace among the nations of the region. To date, 48 presidents and heads of state from all over the world have planted trees in the forest grove, including the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, the late president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, the prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berluskoni, and also the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, who in March 2007, planted the first olive tree in the grove that was part of the worldwide 'Green Belt' project to plant one billion trees that was announced by the United Nations as part of the fight against global warming."

T R E E

September 24, 2003 - "Deir Yassin Remembered," Seneca Lake (western shore), New York, New York (USA). Bronze sculpture of an uprooted olive tree by [political cartoonist] Khalil Bendib. Inscription: "Earth torn roots yearning, Palestine landscape mourning displaced descendants. Randa Hamwi Duwaji. Perpetrated by terrorists of the Irgun and Stern Gang, the massacre of Palestinian men, women, and children at Deir Yassin on April 9, 1948 is arguably the most pivotal event in 20th century Palestinian history. // The massacre symbolizes the Zionist quest to build a Jewish state on land inhabited for centuries by Muslims, Christians, and Jews. It marks the begining of the descruction of over 400 Palestinian villages and the exile of more than 700,000 Palestinians. // Over half the population in the land controlled by Israel is not Jewish. Most of these non-Jews are Palestinians. Yet there are few memorails to mark their history and none to mark the massacre at Deir Yassin, which lies 3 km west of the Old City of Jerusalem and only 1,400 m to the north of Yad Vashem, the most famous of all the Holocaust memorials. The irony is breathtaking. // Khalil Bendib, Sculptor, 2003. www.deiryassin.org"

V I L L A G E

April 9, 1948 - Palestinian Village of Deir Yassin (Israel). Unintentional monument. Scene of the Deir Yassin Massacre. Lower photo is Deir Yassin as seen from Yad Vashem; the village lies in the green trees to the right of the water tower.

T R E E

October 19, 2003 - Mayors for Peace Monument & Tree, Park Square, Leeds (England). "Commemorates the 23 million people killed in conflicts since 1945." Planted by Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba of Hiroshima & Mayor Iccho Itoh [1945-2007] of Nagasaki. (Itoh was assassinated in Nagasaki on April 17, 2007.)

T R E E

May 4, 2005 - Peace Garden, York St. John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, York (England). Contains the Hiroshima Peace Tree which was grown from the seed of a tree which survived the Hiroshima bombing. One of 13 sites on the MAW Peace Map of the British Isles as of January 2009.

P R A I R I E

2005 - World Peace Wetland Prairie, 1121 South Duncan Avenue, Fayetteville, Arkansas (USA). Click here for the prairie's blog.

A R B O R

Date? - Peace Rock Garden & Arboretum, Fayetteville, Arkansas (USA). Click here for set of photos from the "OMNI Peace Garden Tour 2007." OMNI is Omni Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology. Click here for a list of privately owned peace gardens on the 2008 tour.

	T R E E	Date? - Community Peace Tree, Unitarian Universalist Church of Idaho Falls (UUCIF), Idaho Falls, Idaho (USA).		T R E E	About 2005 - The Tree Of Peace, Manger Square, Bethlehem (Palestine). A dying olive tree. Moved by construction of the Israeli Separation Wall. Its inscription reads: "I am 500 years old, I was uprooted without my permission from my original site (Th. Kamis Land) in Bir Ona - Beit Jala along with thousands of trees all over Palestine to build an apartheid wall."

F I L M

2005 - The Peace Tree." "Tells the story of two little girls, one Muslim & one Christian, who dream of celebrating each others' festivals, Christmas & Eid. But when they share their dreams, they are met with resistance from their parents who express their concerns. Through their struggles, they create a unique symbol The Peace Tree, a tree that highlights the symbols from all our cultures and faiths to reflect the beauty of diversity in unity. The Peace Tree shares the voices of the children who try to enlighten their parents to the importance of sharing & celebrating diversity together. The Peace Tree has been invited to over 50 film festivals including Tribeca Film Festival. The film has also received twelve international awards including the Liv Ullmann Peace Prize & triggered the creation of Peace Trees internationally and the proclamation of Peace Tree Day on June 1st, 2006 by Mayor David Miller in the City of Toronto, Ontaria (Canada)."

T R E E

April 2, 2007 -"Wish Tree for Washington, DC,", Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (USA). "A public art work by Yoko Ono. Installed during the 2007 National Cherry Blossom Festival as part of her 'Imagine Peace' project. Paper is provided for the visitor to tie a wish to the tree. The work builds on the Japanese tradition of tying prayers to trees. Returning the paper back to its source evokes an offering."

T R E E

July 2010 - "Wish Tree," Sculpture Garden, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York City, New York (USA). "Has become very popular with contributions from all over the world."

T R E E

2007 - "Peace Tree" sculpture (Columbus Unity Piece), Broadway & 12th Street, Columbus, Georgia (USA). Created by the Thompson-Pound Art Program (TAP) during a multicultural, interfaith summer arts camp for children, which teaches tolerance and appreciation of cultures and religions.

T R E E

September 21, 2007 - Olivier - Arbe de Paix / Olive Tree - Peace Tree, College Vincent Scotto de la Capelette, Marseille (France). A honorer la Journee Internationale de la Paix, fixee au 21 septembre par l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

2008 - "Tree of Peace," Hebrew University Dental School, Ein Karem, Jerusalem (Israel). "By internationally recognized artist Hedva Ser [of Paris (France)]. Celebrates the collaboration between the Hebrew University & the Palestinian Dental School, Al Quds, dental students & faculty also in Jerusalem." "Symbolizes how health care, & specifically dental heath, can be a bridge to world peace." See duplicate "Tree of Peace," School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A. T. Still University (ATSU), Mesa, Arizona (USA).

May 26, 2011 - "Tree of Peace," School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A. T. Still University (ATSU), Mesa, Arizona (USA). "Symbolizes how health care, & specifically dental heath, can be a bridge to world peace." "By internationally recognized artist Hedva Ser [of Paris (France)]. The original 2008 Tree of Peace is on the campus of the Hebrew University Dental School in Ein Karem, Jerusalem [image at far right]. It celebrates the collaboration between the Hebrew University & the Palestinian Dental School, Al Quds, dental students & faculty also in Jerusalem."

August 24, 2011 - Aqsa Parvez Memorial Grove, American Independence Park, Jerusalem Hills (Israel). On land of the Jewish National Fund (JNF or KKL) "up the hill from the village of Ein Kerem." /// "Honors killing victims worldwide. The first initiative of its kind. Dedicated to calling attention to this enforcement of the most savage elements of Islamic law against women: wives, daughters & sisters. One can't even begin to fathom the lost dreams & ideals & promises & hopes for a full life extinguished by the tyrannical, hatemongering macho culture of Islamic supremacism. Demand the world's condemnation of Islamic misogyny, gender apartheid & the dehumanization of women. Should be the first of tens of thousands of memorials, but the point of the memorials does not end simply with the memorials themselves. The memorials show that we have not forgotten & will not forget these girls. And the memorials are just a part of a larger determination to show the Islamic world that we simply will not allow this barbaric practice of Islamic honor killing to stand in the West. We will plant millions of groves." /// Click here for video of dedication by Pamela Geller & Robert Spencer. /// Aqsa Parvez [1991-2007] was the victim of an honour killing in Mississauga, Ontario (Canada).