Heritage Trees

Ancient Cross Timbers Forest

At 250+ years old, this large grove of post oaks known as Todd Island at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FWNC&R) was determined by researchers at the University of Arkansas to be an original stand of trees that was never fully logged. This forest was granted National Natural Landmark (NNL) status in 1980. The Crosstimbers hiking trail at the FWNC&R makes a loop around this stand of trees.

Bellaire Drive Indian Marker Tree

This pecan tree in the Overton Woods neighborhood is believed by residents to be a marker tree used by Native Americans. These nomads would follow large herds of animals and are known to have tied the tops of saplings to the ground in locations near crucial resources and along important routes. As the trees matured, the bend would stay in place and a navigation landmark was created. This pecan points to the nearby Trinity River and is believed to have guided the Native Americans to a reliable water source. While the tree still points to the river, it also points to downtown Fort Worth, serving as a marker tree for modern day inhabitants.

Camp Carter YMCA Grandmother Oak

Grandmother Oak resides within the 37 acre James K. Allen Nature Sanctuary at Camp Carter YMCA. The land, purchased by James Kennedy Allen Sr. in 1855, was deeded to the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth in 1988 by great granddaughters Francis and Sheila Allen. The giant bur oak has been visited by more than 8,000 kids each year since and is used as a teaching tool in the camp's outdoor education curriculum where children learn about forest ecosystems and remnant prairie systems.

Carter-Riverside HS Post Oaks

This group of post oaks adds a great deal of character to one of Fort Worth's oldest neighborhoods and the neighboring school. Post oaks are naturally found on the City's eastern side and these trees are a remnant of the post-oak savannah that existed well before the area was first settled.

Casino Beach Cottonwoods

These two cottonwoods were believed to be growing during the time of the fabled Casino Beach Ballroom at Lake Worth. Nestled next to the shoreline of Casino Beach, the ballroom was nearly an acre in size, could seat over 2,000 guests and hosted legends such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo.

Casino Beach Pavilion Post Oak

This large post oak is located in Casino Beach Park, an area which was one of the most popular attractions in the Southwest drawing over 100,000 visitors a year to its grand amenities and varied attractions. Facing the lake while standing at the tree, you will be able to see the walls of a rock building-the pavilion-one of the few remnants of Casino Beach's booming past.

Casino Beach Pecan

This grand tree is the largest known pecan growing around the lake and is located within Casino Beach Park. At it's peak, the park featured a palatial bathhouse, an opulent ballroom hosting major acts and orchestras, a full boardwalk and even a midway complete with rollercoaster (The Thriller).

CCC Camp Post Oaks

Growing just off the edge of Watercress, this clump of post oaks was once on the edge of a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp. The CCC was a New Deal program created during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and created jobs for workers following the Great Depression. The CCC planted trees, built trails, and created numerous structures. Some existing projects around Lake Worth can be found at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, Casino Beach Park, Arrow S Park, Mosque Point Park and Marion Sansom Park. Fine stonework is one of the hallmarks of CCC handiwork.

Crestwood Drive Live Oaks

These live oaks, growing in the middle of the street, were saved by the original developers Loffland and Luther when the land was platted and streets were designed in 1941. The trees are treasured by the neighborhood and greatly contribute to the park-like feel of Crestwood.

DFW Champion Texas Ash

This Texas ash is the largest of its kind in the 25 county DFW region. It's located inside Pioneers Rest Cemetery, established in 1850 (believed to be the oldest in Tarrant County). The cemetery is the burial place of founders such as: Major Ripley Arnold, Edward H. Tarrant, members of the Daggett family, 11 soldiers from the camp/fort, and numerous others.

DFW Co-Champion Southern Magnolia

This tree shares the distinction of being the largest known Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) in the DFW area.

DFW Regional Champion Green Ash

This green ash is recognized as the largest of its species in the DFW region. Located within the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, the tree is growing near an old road built around 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

DFW Regional Champion Blackjack Oak

Casino Beach Park is home to several Heritage Trees, including this blackjack oak which is recognized as the largest of its kind in the DFW Region.

DFW Regional Champion Sweetgum

This sweetgum, growing in Love Circle Park, is the largest of its species in the DFW Region. It is likely a leftover from a nursery that was once on the site decades ago.

DFW Regional Co-Champion Western Soapberry

This soapberry, growing in Arrow S Park, is tied for the largest of its species in the DFW Region. It shares the park with the George T. Reynolds Live Oak, a fellow Heritage Tree. The land was once used as a recreation camp for the Swift Packing Company. The soapberry sits beside an old rock fireplace that was part of the camp.

Downtown Red Mulberry

This large, solitary red mulberry grows in downtown Fort Worth. Now sitting in an island of grass surrounded by concrete, the tree has long been in the center of the action. Although Fort Worth struggled to survive following the Civil War, railroads and cattle brought new prosperity to Fort Worth. During the latter half of the 19th century, merchants, saloons, liveries and churches all occupied the area surrounding the former frontier outpost which still serves as the hub of the city. A visit to this large, old mulberry, the numerous historical markers and century old structures surrounding it will offer a glimpse into the history which abounds in the area.

Forest Park Witness Tree

This bur oak (and its neighbor removed in 2014 due to the drought and related stresses) were used as "witness trees" in the 1845 E.S. Harris survey. A witness tree was used as a survey point, often to establish corners. Trees were selected based on their durability and resistance to decay. Bur oaks were a preferred species due to their longevity and resistance to fires.

Foster Park Trident Maple

This tree, growing near a creek crossing on the south end of Foster Park, was selected because it is a species (Acer buergeranum) rarely seen in Fort Worth. This tree, as with many other maples, displays beautiful fall color.

Garden of Eden Pecans

These two pecans grow on the property line of this lot in the Garden of Eden--a Freedman's Community on Fort Worth's far east side. The Garden of Eden is recognized as a historic district and the first African-American cultural district in Fort Worth. The land was settled by Major and Malinda Cheney in the 1860s and descendants of the family have resided on the land and surrounding area ever since. Many of the homes in the area were built by family members and incorporated use of very hard and durable bois d'arc wood which is natively found in the loose, fertile soils of this bottomland situated between the West Fork of the Trinity River and Little Fossil Creek. Farming was a stable of the Cheney Ranch and included the harvest and sale of pecans. Children of the family would regularly gather pecans from the trees on the Carson St and sell them to Ellis Pecan for spending money at Christmas.

George T. Reynolds Live Oak

This great, old tree in Arrow S Park grows on land once part of an expansive ranch owned by George T. Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds was one of the founders of the Reynolds Cattle Company, famous across the west from Texas to Canada. He eventually gave or sold lands from the ranch which led to the formation of Mosque Point (once Reynolds Point), Camp Leroy Shuman, Arrow S Park, Amon Carter's Shady Oak Farm, and more.

Harley Live Oaks

This cluster of live oaks is the result of collaboration on the part of the City Forester, a State Forester, and several other municipal departments. Harley Avenue (now Trail Drive) was being realigned and the trees were slated for removal, prevented only by diligence and realignment of parkland at the Botanic Garden. Cooperation among the groups allowed this handsome stand of trees to exist today and provide a green gateway into the Will Rogers Exhibition area.

The Millennium Tree

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

This beautiful bur oak on the east end of the 1895 Tarrant County Courthouse facing Commerce Street was planted in 1999 to celebrate the start of the third millennium which began January 1, 2001.

The installation was conceived by the Fort Worth Millennium Committee--a collection of community leaders that planned events and functions across the city with a nod towards honoring Fort Worth’s past while looking to the future with hope and optimism. The tree was provided and planted by the Park & Recreation Department’s Forestry Section and ceremonially mulched by local schoolchildren and civic leaders during a formal celebration in November 2019. In a Fort Worth Star-Telegram feature detailing the event, Karen Barr, wife of then-mayor Kenneth Barr stated “The roots of this tree symbolize our past and our heritage. The leaves represent future growth—the growth that today’s children will bring about in the next century.”

The TCU Original Oak

This beautiful live oak proudly spreads its canopy across the middle of campus at Texas Christian University, just west of University Dr and northeast of TCU’s Reed Hall. The turf near the tree is adorned with a small plaque, dedicated in 2011, stating “Original Oak Tree:  The only tree present on the new TCU campus was this live oak transplanted ‘from the forest’ by the class of 1912.”

The Class of 1912 was the first group of students to graduate from TCU’s permanent Fort Worth campus after fire destroyed the former location in Waco. This group of seniors worked with the Texas Shade Tree Company in the spring of 1912 to transplant a large live oak growing in a wooded area nearby to the campus grounds and thus established the Original Oak—the first tree on the beautiful, tree-covered campus as we know it today.

Inspiration Point Live Oak

This large live oak in Marion Sansom Park overlooks Lake Worth, as it has done for generations. Visiting the tree will provide tremendous views of the surrounding area and a glimpse into the past as this tree grows beside an old CCC rock shelter. It's safe to say this tree has witnessed more than a few stolen kisses, too.

John Peter Smith Oak

This live oak grows on property once owned by Fort Worth pioneer Major Khleber Van Zandt. The land was donated to the City and was used as a school site and later became home to the FWISD administration building. In 1982 during the centennial celebration of the school district, the tree described as "likely the oldest living thing in our entire school district" was named the John Peter Smith Oak, in honor of the founder of the public school system in the City. John Peter Smith is known as "the father of Fort Worth" for his countless contributions to the City. The tree is now owned and cared for by the Kimbell Art Museum.

Lake Country Cedar Elm

This massive cedar elm grows on land which was once a golf course within the Lake Country area. Though on private property, this tree is accessible by a trail network formed by the old golf course cart paths which connect the Eagle Ranch and Lake Country communities. With a canopy width of over 70’, unusual for this species, and a trunk nearly four feet in diameter, this tree was verified by Texas A&M Forest Service to be the largest cedar elm in Tarrant County and the fourth largest in the entire state!

Lake Worth Indian Marker Tree

This old live oak grows within Arrow S Park, on the edge of a ridge overlooking the lake near the Loop 820 bridge. It’s believed its unique shape is due to manipulation by indigenous groups such as the Comanche. These “marker trees” would often serve to signal an important feature, landmark, resource, or waypoint just like road signs today. Sometimes, messages or other items could be stored inside the “nose”, a small cavity formed at the end of the bent trunk. Though why this trunk may have been bent and formed in this direction remains a mystery, the tree does point to a deep bend in the Trinity River, now covered by the waters of Lake Worth.

Lake Worth Sailing Club Post Oak

Likely 200 years or more old, this tree predates any activity in the area and resides at what was originally Roach's Camp when the lake was constructed in 1914. Now home to the Lake Worth Sailing Club since 1938, the site features two picnic structures built by the CCC Company 1816 during their residency at a camp across from the property.

Lone Oak Drive Post Oaks

Ironically, these two post oaks are the namesake for Lone Oak Dr. These trees are very old with spreading canopies that still cause this pair to appear as a single tree. Even more unique is that these two native, naturally occurring post oaks are completely uncharacteristic for this area of west Fort Worth with its rocky, heavy clay soils. Post oaks are generally found in the dry, sandy soils of Northside, northwest Fort Worth and east of I-35. These post oaks on the edge of the Monticello neighborhood were preserved when the streets and homes were constructed in the 1930s and have enjoyed being well-tended ever since.

Lotus Marsh Boardwalk Chinquapin Oaks

This group of trees is likely the only natively occurring known stand of chinquapin oaks in Tarrant County. The trees grow at the entrance to the treasured Lotus Marsh Boardwalk along a remnant of historic Meandering Road (later improved by the CCC).

Magnolia Streetscape - 700 Block

These red oaks were planted in the 1980s during the first significant effort to revitalize the Near Southside. While many trees have not survived the meager growing conditions of urban street sites, these trees have flourished along with Magnolia Avenue and the Near Southside.

Marion Sansom Park Oak Motte

This stand of live oaks, or motte, grows on a knoll overlooking Marion Sansom Park and Lake Worth. Drivers on Roberts Cut Off are greeted by these handsome trees as they wind along this scenic section of road. The trees receive extra care from the Fort Worth Mountain Bikers' Association as a bike trail winds beneath their shady, sheltering boughs.

Monticello Park Live Oak

This live oak resides in Monticello Park within a neighborhood that dates back to the 1920s. Monticello was designed by Hare and Hare, who later designed portions of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, most notably the Rose Garden. This beloved tree, with its canopy sweeping the ground and straddling the sidewalk, has welcomed generations of residents to the park.

Mosque Point Live Oak

Originally called Reynolds Point after original landowner and Heritage Tree namesake (growing in Arrow S Park) George T. Reynolds, this live oak grows on a limestone bluff at Mosque Point overlooking Lake Worth. After the original Masonic Shrine Mosque was destroyed by fire, this site was rebuilt by the CCC with a shelter designed by the renowned Hare and Hare architects as part of the City's park master plan of 1930.

National Champion Texas Red Oak

Planted sometime around 1941, this Texas red oak is the largest in the country...maybe on the entire planet. Dr. Simeon Hulsey transplanted three saplings from a family farm in Parker County before leaving for WWII and the trees grew and fused into the single trunked tree we enjoy today. Dr. Hulsey, a pathologist, served in both WWI and WWII, played on the champion 1920 football team while attending the University of Texas, retired from medicine at the age of 95 and lived to be 100 years old.

Oakland-Martel Pecan Streetscape

In the 1940s, hundreds of pecans were planted as street trees in the Scenery Hill subdivision of West Meadowbrook and served as a cash crop. Today, these large trees weave together to form a dense green canopy that provides a calm, quiet setting for this neighborhood located just off the interstate.

Poindexter Live Oak

This live oak is the first "significant tree" saved following the creation of the Urban Forestry Compliance Section. "Significant tree" refers to the designation of trees 27 inches in diameter or larger, as determined by the tree preservation ordinance.

Quanah Parker Park Pecan

This pecan was selected for its massive size (85'+ in height, 160"+ in circumference), age (150+ years), and majestic shape.

Riverside Magnolia

This Southern magnolia continues to grow where the Riverside School once stood, originally constructed in 1921. The tree serves as a reminder and landmark to generations of residents who have remained in the Riverside area.

Riverside Park Pecans

This grove of pecan trees is believed to be a remnant from an early farm dating to the time of the City's founding. The trees provide a restful, calming space along the Trinity River, just 2 miles from downtown.

Rockwood GC Live Oaks

This cluster of trees on the Rockwood Golf Course (9th fairway) provides a prime example of old, stately live oak form. At more than 200 years old, these trees greatly enhance the feel of this vintage course.

Royal Flying Corps Live Oak

This large live oak grows in Greenwood Cemetery (also home to The Turner Oak) and shelters a group of Commonwealth War Graves, the final resting place of Royal Flying Corps pilots killed in training exercises in Tarrant County during World War I. Trained to take aerial photos of German positions and shoot down observation balloons despite only receiving 15 hours of training in biplanes, over 1,500 pilots earned their wings in Fort Worth.

Ruth Carter Stevenson Live Oak

In the early 1950s, Ruth Carter Stevenson, daughter of Fort Worth icon Amon Carter and the driving force behind the Amon Carter Museum, planted trees along Burnett-Tandy Drive because "she loved to plant trees" and "because the space was so empty". The trees adorned the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History when it opened in 1954. Most of the trees were cleared when a major expansion project began in 2007, but one was spared. That large, beautiful live oak is now the feature of the museum's enclosed courtyard as the architect sought to seamlessly blend the structure with nature and education. Bartlett Tree Experts has gone to great lengths and donated a significant amount of time and resources to ensure this continues to flourish in its renovated home.

Steel's Tavern Oak

This live oak still grows where Steel's Inn and Tavern once stood. The spot was the location of the official mail service to Fort Worth (1856) and served as the terminus of the Fort Worth-Jacksboro stagecoach line. Passengers from southern and eastern states often stopped and rested at the inn before continuing their journey to Jacksboro, where they connected with the Butterfield Overland Stage, which took them across the Southwest and into California.

The Big Greene Tree

This American elm serves as a landmark for the University Place neighborhood hosting meetings, parades, Easter egg hunts and the like since the 1920s.

Traders Oak

The Traders Oak may be the most well-known tree in Fort Worth. Camp Worth (later Fort Worth) was established in 1849 at the junction of the West and Clear forks of the Trinity River on the bluffs overlooking the surrounding valley. Federal regulations prohibited merchants within one mile of the military outpost so Henry Clay Daggett and Archibald Franklin Leonard constructed a log cabin trading post in a group of sprawling live oak trees growing near Cold Springs. Soldiers, settlers and Native Americans all came to trade goods and relax at the springs in what became the first successful business in Fort Worth. The first election (in now Tarrant County) was held in front of the store in 1850 and Birdville was decided as the county seat. The first Tarrant County Court was also conducted within the trading post. When the fort was abandoned in 1853, Daggett and Leonard moved the trading post to a vacated structure on the bluffs. This tree still proudly grows, as it has for well over 200 years, marking the location where the trading post once stood on this historic site.

Turner Oak

Located in Greenwood Cemetery, this 250+ year old live oak has played an important part in the history of Fort Worth. Charles Turner was one of five men originally selected to find a location for the camp that was to become Fort Worth. Although opposed to the secession of Texas leading up to the Civil War, he supported the decision of the majority after they voted to side with the Confederacy by organizing a company of men for the war at his own expense. When the Confederacy demanded that citizens exchange their gold for Confederate currency, Turner refused and, with the help of a trusted slave, buried thousands of dollars in gold under a tree growing near the family's home. During Reconstruction following the end of the war, Turner unearthed the gold and used it to pay off debts owed by the firm of Turner and Daggett and stabilized the local economy, allowing the City to get through a financially difficult period.

TX Champion Black Willow

Growing in an old hay field within reserve park land along Lake Worth, this black willow is the largest of its species in the state of Texas

TX Champion Jujube

This Fort Worth Botanic Garden specimen is the largest known jujube (Zizyphus jujuba) in Texas.

TX Co-Champion Mesquite

This tree, located in the "horseshoe" in front of Will Rogers Memorial Center, is tied for the largest mesquite in Texas

Van Zandt Cottage Live Oak

This large live oak watches over the Van Zandt Cottage, the oldest structure in Fort Worth still in its original location. One of Fort Worth's most influential figures, Major Khleber Van Zandt, resided in the home and adjoining acreage which included modern day sites such as Trinity Park, Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Cultural District.

Van Zandt Farm Live Oak

This magnificent live oak sits east of the Van Zandt Cottage within Trinity Park. Once hidden by a ramshackle storage building along Crestline Rd, the tree is now the centerpiece of a small parking area off Farmhouse Way. This area of the park was vastly changed with the routing of Trail Dr connecting University Dr to W Lancaster Ave and the elimination of Crestline Rd, but the area surrounding the cottage remained untouched. Originally, the land was part of the vast holdings of Major K.M. Van Zandt who came to Fort Worth in 1865 and settled in the cottage bearing his name west of the Trinity River. The Van Zandt farm once spanned a giant area bound on the east by the Trinity River, to the north by current day W 5th St, by what is now Montgomery St to the west and somewhere near I-30 to the south. This live oak along with the Van Zandt Cottage Live Oak and others nearby grow out of naturally formed uplands protected by regular flooding of the Trinity River before it was channelized which also made for a suitable cabin site for K.M. Van Zandt.

Homeless Christmas Tree

Mile marker 18 along the north side of I-30 at the top of a rolling hill was where this small, crooked mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) grew. Many had seen the odd, isolated tree decorated like it celebrates all the year's holidays each and every day, but few know its story. Carla Christian, a local woman who once felt the isolation and plight of being homeless, decided to do something to lift the spirits of the area's homeless population. By decorating the small mimosa with ornaments, she provided the homeless with a Christmas tree and reminded passing motorists of those less fortunate. For many years she climbed the hill to anonymously decorate the tree until her health prevented her from making the trek alone. She contacted the Fort Worth Fire Department and with the assistance of Captain Joe Kavanaugh was able to make certain that the crooked little mimosa remained adorned. Though Ms. Christian passed away in 2006, numerous others have ensured that the tree, and those less fortunate, are not forgotten. The story of this mimosa inspired the children's book "The Homeless Christmas Tree" by Leslie M. Gordon. Sales of the book help support local organizations benefitting the homeless: The Presbyterian Night Shelter, Union Gospel Mission, and the Tarrant Area Food Bank. The book has also been adapted into the stage play "Carla's Song". As of 2015, this well-known mimosa was another casualty of the drought. A new mimosa, grown from seed collected from the original, has been planted alongside the original tree to continue the legacy of The Homeless Christmas Tree. Unfortunately, sometime in late December 2020, the remains of the original tree, the offspring of the original, the bench and everything else on the hilltop were removed.

DFW Regional Co-Champion Tree of Heaven

Growing near Hwy 199 in Love Circle Park, this tree is tied for the largest tree-of-heaven in the DFW Region.

Memorial Bur Oak

Summer storms in August 2019 caused the canopy of this grand old tree to come crashing down (the result of an old hollow in the upper trunk of the tree.) This massive bur oak was the former Texas Champion and remains the second largest bur oak in the state.

National Champion Chittamwood

This Chittamwood (Sideroxylon lanuginosum), or Gum Bumelia, was recognized as the largest of its kind in the United States. Unfortunately, this tree was toppled by a storm in the summer of 2016 and subsequently removed.

TCU-Brite Divinity School Elm

This American elm was featured in the activities of the seminary for generations, providing a place for worship, learning, reflection and conversation. Future additions to the school have been carefully considered to feature the tree as a focal point of the campus. Unfortunately, due to safety concerns the tree was removed in 2021.

The Hollow Pecan

A Fort Worth Botanic Garden treasure, this pecan was estimated to be over 200 years old. Located in the Rock Springs area of the park, this tree has seen visitors from Native Americans, pre-settlement traders, pioneering families of Fort Worth, and tens of thousands of visitors since. Unfortunately, this tree died and was subsequently removed in 2014 following years of drought and related stresses.

Timberline Post Oak

This ancient post oak was likely to be one of the oldest trees in all of Fort Worth. It had been spared numerous times by roadwork, as demonstrated by the tree's location-directly behind a stop sign at a busy intersection. The tree was toppled in 2015 following a large storm and was subsequently removed.