Roots & Reflections
A collage and meditation workshop series about New York City’s urban forest



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Tuesday December 3rd, 2024



This workshop was guided by the following four trees species: Sawtooth Oak, London Plane, Pin Oak, and Sweet Gum.

Participants are pictured with their leaf-shaped collages that correspond to the selected tree guides.

Scroll down for the tree identification guide



London Plane Tree,
Platanus x acerifolia


A naturalized colonial tree planted for its political value and resilience to urban soil and pollution  


The London Plane is the most common tree in New York City, making up 10% of all trees in the urban forest.  

 The leaf shape has three lobes with serrated edges

The bark is a multi-colored camouflage pattern

The London Plane tree developed as a spontaneous hybrid in London between two species of trees that were brought from their native environments to London during Early Modern Colonial voyages

Robert Moses planted thousands of tree (a harmful practice known as monoculture) in the 20th century because of its metropolitan prestige, the tree was famously planted in London, Rome, and Paris 

 The tree is very resilient to air pollution and hard soil, two conditions that make life difficult in the urban forest



Sweet Gum Tree,
Liquidambar styraciflua


A native tree that supports hundreds of native animal and insect species


The Sweet Gum is native to New York City

Sweet Gum is a valuable food source for native wildlife, it is a food source for Lunar moths, 35 different types of caterpillars, beavers, mice, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and 25 different species of birds

The tree is named after the aromatic vanilla-smelling resin the bark produces

You can spot a Sweet Gum tree by it’s distinct 5-pointed star leaf shape and spiked, hard fruit



PinPin Oak Tree,
Quercus palustris

 A fast-growing native tree with a high pollution tolerance


The Pin Oak is the 4th most common tree 

The leafs have lots of lobes with deep-cut sinsues

The Pin Oak is naturally a pioneer plant, a fast-growing and short lived tree. It is planted often because it reaches maturity fast (mature trees absorb more carbon and flood water, provide more shade, etc.)

The Pin Oak have shallow, fibrous root systems that prefer soil with high amounts of clay 

The Pin Oak has a high pollution tolerance

Sawtooth Oak TreeSawtooth Oak Tree,
Quercus acutissima

     A naturalized (nonnative) tree from Asia known for its shade coverage and ornament


The Sawtooth Oak is native to China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Indochina and the Himalayas

The leaf shape is an oval with serrated edges

The Sawtooth is planted for wildlife food/cover and for shade  


Let’s talk about shade

Temperatures in urban areas are significantly hotter than in natural or rural environments due to the heat-absorbing materials and heat-producing activities. Trees have been proven to cool temperatures by providing shade, releasing water vapor, and by absorbing carbon dioxide, a warming greenhouse gas.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen in a process called photosynthesis. If the temperature is too hot or cold, photosynthesis can not occur.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the workshop and to ErF World for providing the venue <3



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