9/11 Survivor Tree; Waukesha gifted seedling, symbol of hope
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Days after the nation marked the anniversary of September 11th, Waukesha announced a part of Ground Zero is coming to its community. A seedling from the "Survivor Tree" will have new roots in Waukesha.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum picks communities all over the world to receive seedlings from the Survivor Tree – communities that have shown great strength after tragedy. Waukesha is an example of that. The Christmas Parade Attack will always be kept in the community's heart.
"The tree itself is a symbol of rebirth and resiliency. I think our community is going through that right now," said Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly.
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The Survivor Tree was found in the wreckage at Ground Zero weeks after the September 11th attacks. Its branches were snapped, the tree was burned and broken, but it survived.
Reilly said on Wednesday, part of that tree will soon be part of Waukesha.
Spring time photos of the survivor tree in bloom on the Memorial Plaza in New York, NY on April 22, 2015. Photo by Jin Lee. Courtesy of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. ( )
"It was very quickly apparent that this was one, a great honor and two, something that I think will really speak to our community," Reilly said.
The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum picked Waukesha in remembrance of the 2021 Christmas Parade attack. Six people were killed and more than 60 others hurt.
Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly
"A tree is a really good metaphor for regrowth and life and all that," Reilly said.
The museum gifted seedlings from the tree to three communities each year for the last decade.
This year, seedlings will also be sent to Uvalde Memorial Hospital – which honors Texas doctors and nurses who helped after a school shooting in May 2022. Little Rock, Arkansas will also receive a seedling to recognize the five people killed after March's deadly tornados.
"Communities that have experienced tragedies have a certain connection. 9/11 to me, is one of the biggest national tragedies we’ve had in my lifetime," Reilly said.
Reilly said Grede Park is an ideal location for the Survivor Tree seedling. The city is planning a permanent memorial there. It is expected to open in 2024 to mark the third anniversary of Waukesha's heartbreak. But like the Survivor Tree, Waukesha persevered.
"It tells a story to all people in our community that were deeply affected by our parade tragedy that you can recover. The pain is still there, but there’s also regrowth and rebirth," Reilly said.
The seedling will likely be delivered and planted sometime in 2024. In the meantime, fundraising is still taking place for the permanent Waukesha memorial.
More about the Survivor Tree
The "Survivor Tree" is the adopted name of a Callery pear tree that stands at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.
The tree was discovered in the wreckage at Ground Zero, weeks later in October 2001. It was severely damaged, with snapped roots and branches that were burned and broken.
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The tree was removed from the rubble and placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
It was nursed back to health for years, before being returned to its location in 2010.
It has since been dubbed as the "Survivor Tree," standing as a living reminder of resilience, survival, and rebirth, as the 9/11 Memorial and Museum says.