Oregon Peace Tree Project
A long journey to a new home
How Hiroshima peace trees came to Oregon
To mark the 75th anniversary of the close of World War II, people in 40 communities around Oregon committed to plant special peace trees from Japan. The young trees were grown from seeds of trees that miraculously survived the atom bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. A total of 55 of these trees – 9 Asian persimmons, 45 ginkgos and a camellia - were planted in 38 counties around the state between 2019 - 2024. Today, Oregon has one of the largest collections of Hiroshima peace trees of any state or nation outside Japan.
A long journey to a new home
As an 11-year-old girl, Hideko Tamura-Snider lost her mother in the bombing of Hiroshima. Hideko survived, eventually moving to Medford and writing a book for children about her experiences as a survivor. In 2007 she helped found the One Sunny Day Initiatives . Its stated mission is to plant seeds of universal peace, hope and reconciliation.
Hideko Tamura-Snider (center) learned that the non-profit Green Legacy Hiroshima was collecting seeds of Hiroshima’s atom-bomb survivor trees, known as hibakujumoku, and distributing them worldwide as symbols of peace and resilience.
In 2017 Hideko persuaded Oregon Community Trees (OCT) board member Mike Oxendine (left) in Ashland to request the seeds and germinate them, which he did. He successfully sprouted the seeds, which were collected from a single ginkgo tree and a single Asian persimmon. With no facilities to care for so many seedlings, he appealed to OCT board members to find homes. Several board members answered the call, getting trees to Corvallis, Eugene, Hillsboro, Hood River, La Grande and Lake Oswego in 2019. OCT board member Jim Gersbach (right) then volunteered to help find homes for the remaining trees.
OCT board member Jennifer Killian (pictured), at that time with Corvallis Parks and Recreation , volunteered to care for the seedlings until they could be delivered to their new homes.
Jim then worked with ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager Kristin Ramstad (pictured, now retired) to organize distribution of the seedlings around Oregon at no cost. Trees had to be planted in public places. Priority was given to Tree Cities USA and Tree Campuses USA in Oregon. Ramstad said their proven leadership in caring for urban trees made them fitting hosts. Requests for trees were made by schools, colleges, cemeteries, churches, parks and arboretums. All parts of the state were represented, from the Columbia River to California, and the coast to cities far inland.
“These trees not only represent resilience in the face of unbelievable destruction, they have come to symbolize the desire and need for peace in a nuclear-armed world.” - Kristin Ramstad, Oregon Department of Forestry
Ashland - Japanese Garden, Lithia Park
Camellia - planted March 16, 2023
Ashland - Southern Oregon University
Ginkgo
Aumsville - Mill Creek Park
Ginkgo - planted April 6, 2020
Beaverton - City Arboretum
Persimmon - planted April 2, 2020
Bend - Hollinshead Park
Ginkgo - planted April 1, 2020
Central Point - Skyrman Arboretum
Ginkgo - planted March 13, 2020
Coos Bay - SW Oregon Community College
Ginkgo - planted May 23, 2021
Corvallis - Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
Ginkgo - planted March 26, 2021
Corvallis - Asian Pacific Cultural Center (OSU)
Persimmon - planted April 11, 2019
Corvallis - Western View Center
Ginkgo - planted Jan. 7, 2021
Cottage Grove - Coiner Park
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 17, 2020
Creswell - South 2nd Street Park
Ginkgo - planted March 18, 2019
Elgin - Elgin High School
Ginkgo - planted
Eugene - Alton Baker Park
Persimmon - planted Aug. 6, 2019
Florence - Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center
Ginkgo - planted Nov. 19, 2021
Gladstone - Gladstone Nature Park
Ginkgo - planted March 28, 2020
Grants Pass - Greenwood River Trail
Ginkgo - planted April 2, 2022
Gresham - Main City Park
Ginkgo - planted Sept. 19, 2022
Happy Valley - City Hall
Ginkgo - planted Nov. 10, 2021
Hillsboro - Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve
Ginkgo - planted April 22, 2019
Hood River - Idlewild Cemetery
Ginkgo - planted March 1, 2021
Independence - Mt. Fir Park
Ginkgo - planted April 24, 2020
Klamath Falls - Klamath Union High School
Ginkgo (2) - planted March 27, 2020
La Grande - Eastern Oregon University
Ginkgo - planted April 26, 2019
La Grande - Riverside Park
Ginkgo - planted May 2, 2020
Lake Oswego - Foothills Park
Ginkgo - planted April 13, 2019
Medford - Congregational United Church of Christ
Persimmon - planted Feb. 28, 2020
Milwaukie - City Hall
Persimmon - planted April 7, 2023
Newberg - Chehalis Valley Middle School
Persimmon - planted March 12, 2020
Ontario - Four Rivers Cultural Center
Ginkgo - planted April 30, 2020
Oregon City - End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Ginkgo - planted April 4, 2020
Portland - Hoyt Arboretum
Ginkgo - pending Persimmon - planted Sept. 25, 2020
Portland - Portland State University
Ginkgo - planted January 2020
Redmond - City Hall
Ginkgo - planted April 30, 2020
Rouge River - John F. Fleming Veterans Memorial Park
Ginkgo - planted April 22, 2020
Roseburg - Master Gardeners Discovery Garden, River Forks Park
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 20, 2020
Roseburg - Odd Fellows Cemetery
Ginkgo - Planted Feb. 3, 2020
Roseburg - Umpqua Community College
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 28 2020
Salem - Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Ginkgo - April 2, 2020
Salem - Oregon State Penitentiary
Ginkgo - planted April 4, 2023
Salem - Pringle Park
Persimmon - planted April 10, 2022
Salem - Unity Church of Salem
Ginkgos (3) - Feb. 18, 2020
Seaside - Cartwright Park
Ginkgo - planted Nov. 17, 2021
Talent - Chuck Roberts Park
Ginkgo - planted Oct. 10, 2020 Persimmon - planted Oct. 10, 2020
Tillamook - Carnahan Park
Ginkgo - planted April 24, 2020
Turner - Cloverfield Elementary School
Persimmon - planted April 1, 2020
Turner - David Sawyer Park
Ginkgo - planted March 31, 2022
Vernonia - Ora Bolmeier Park
Ginkgo - planted June 20, 2022
Wilsonville - Murase Plaza Park
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 22, 2024
Ashland - Japanese Garden, Lithia Park
Camellia - planted March 16, 2023
Ashland - Southern Oregon University
Ginkgo
Aumsville - Mill Creek Park
Ginkgo - planted April 6, 2020
Beaverton - City Arboretum
Persimmon - planted April 2, 2020
Bend - Hollinshead Park
Ginkgo - planted April 1, 2020
Central Point - Skyrman Arboretum
Ginkgo - planted March 13, 2020
Coos Bay - SW Oregon Community College
Ginkgo - planted May 23, 2021
Corvallis - Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
Ginkgo - planted March 26, 2021
Corvallis - Asian Pacific Cultural Center (OSU)
Persimmon - planted April 11, 2019
Corvallis - Western View Center
Ginkgo - planted Jan. 7, 2021
Cottage Grove - Coiner Park
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 17, 2020
Creswell - South 2nd Street Park
Ginkgo - planted March 18, 2019
Elgin - Elgin High School
Ginkgo - planted
Eugene - Alton Baker Park
Persimmon - planted Aug. 6, 2019
Florence - Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center
Ginkgo - planted Nov. 19, 2021
Gladstone - Gladstone Nature Park
Ginkgo - planted March 28, 2020
Grants Pass - Greenwood River Trail
Ginkgo - planted April 2, 2022
Gresham - Main City Park
Ginkgo - planted Sept. 19, 2022
Happy Valley - City Hall
Ginkgo - planted Nov. 10, 2021
Hillsboro - Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve
Ginkgo - planted April 22, 2019
Hood River - Idlewild Cemetery
Ginkgo - planted March 1, 2021
Independence - Mt. Fir Park
Ginkgo - planted April 24, 2020
Klamath Falls - Klamath Union High School
Ginkgo (2) - planted March 27, 2020
La Grande - Eastern Oregon University
Ginkgo - planted April 26, 2019
La Grande - Riverside Park
Ginkgo - planted May 2, 2020
Lake Oswego - Foothills Park
Ginkgo - planted April 13, 2019
Medford - Congregational United Church of Christ
Persimmon - planted Feb. 28, 2020
Milwaukie - City Hall
Persimmon - planted April 7, 2023
Newberg - Chehalis Valley Middle School
Persimmon - planted March 12, 2020
Ontario - Four Rivers Cultural Center
Ginkgo - planted April 30, 2020
Oregon City - End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Ginkgo - planted April 4, 2020
Portland - Hoyt Arboretum
Ginkgo - pending Persimmon - planted Sept. 25, 2020
Portland - Portland State University
Ginkgo - planted January 2020
Redmond - City Hall
Ginkgo - planted April 30, 2020
Rouge River - John F. Fleming Veterans Memorial Park
Ginkgo - planted April 22, 2020
Roseburg - Master Gardeners Discovery Garden, River Forks Park
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 20, 2020
Roseburg - Odd Fellows Cemetery
Ginkgo - Planted Feb. 3, 2020
Roseburg - Umpqua Community College
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 28 2020
Salem - Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Ginkgo - April 2, 2020
Salem - Oregon State Penitentiary
Ginkgo - planted April 4, 2023
Salem - Pringle Park
Persimmon - planted April 10, 2022
Salem - Unity Church of Salem
Ginkgos (3) - Feb. 18, 2020
Seaside - Cartwright Park
Ginkgo - planted Nov. 17, 2021
Talent - Chuck Roberts Park
Ginkgo - planted Oct. 10, 2020 Persimmon - planted Oct. 10, 2020
Tillamook - Carnahan Park
Ginkgo - planted April 24, 2020
Turner - Cloverfield Elementary School
Persimmon - planted April 1, 2020
Turner - David Sawyer Park
Ginkgo - planted March 31, 2022
Vernonia - Ora Bolmeier Park
Ginkgo - planted June 20, 2022
Wilsonville - Murase Plaza Park
Ginkgo - planted Feb. 22, 2024
Planting during a pandemic
OCT board member Morgan Holen, a consulting arborist, worked to get the first peace tree – a ginkgo – planted in a Lake Oswego park in April 2019. Most planting ceremonies, however, were scheduled for Arbor Month in April 2020. Then in March 2020 the novel corona virus swept the U.S. and all public gatherings were banned.
Although all planned ceremonies had to be canceled, most communities quietly ushered their young trees safely into their new homes. Gersbach said the pandemic actually added to the trees’ relevance to people living today. He says their existence is a sign of hope that, even amid unexpected devastation and loss of life, there can be hope for recovery and the future.
Upon learning how many communities in her adopted state embraced the Hiroshima seedlings, Tamura-Snider wrote that the plantings “filled me with joy, remembering the long journey for both the tree[s] and myself. Thank you, people of Oregon, for your enduring faith in the future, in the resilience of life.”
A visit to the peace tree parents
In November 2023 a delegation from Oregon’s Peace Tree Project visited to thank the Green Legacy Hiroshima volunteers for sending seeds of survivor trees to Oregon. The group got to meet arborist Chikara Horiguchi, who cares for the ageing survivor trees and who first suggested that their seeds be collected. They also got to see the two mother trees that all of the peace trees in Oregon are descended from – a ginkgo in Shukkein Garden that was less than a mile from where the atom bomb exploded, and an Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki) that was even closer.
Portland filmmaker David Hedberg has been making a documentary about the statewide effort to plant peace trees from Hiroshima in Oregon. He went on the 2023 trip to Hiroshima to film the parent trees and add perspective on how their journey to Oregon began.
He showed a “work in progress” to audiences in Japan to gauge their reactions. He plans to finish editing the documentary in 2024 and enter it in various film festivals before making it available to be shown in cities and towns around Oregon in 2025.
Hiroshima Peace Trees in Oregon
Hiroshima Peace Tree Map
Peace trees in spaces open to the public can be visited during times those spaces allow visitors. Trees at schools and colleges usually require visitors to call first to arrange a visit. Please contact the institution before you plan to visit.
