Heritage Trees

The trees that have seen Portland grow

An English Elm between Northwest 24th and 25th on Flanders Street, planted in the 1890s, is about 80 feet tall.

Photos and story by William Morton

Scattered throughout the city are historically, culturally or horticulturally notable trees known as Heritage Trees.

There are just over 300 living Heritage Trees. Marked with a plaque denoting their name, planting date and Heritage Tree number, these trees can’t be interfered with without approval from both the Urban Forestry Commission and the Portland City Council.

“Heritage Trees are living landmarks,” states a city website. “They watch history unfold, they honor notable people and groups, and their age, size, and beauty inspire delight and wonder.”

The Heritage Tree launched in 1993, largely due to the advocacy of Arlington Heights resident Phyllis Reynolds. At the time, Reynolds was head of the Conservation Committee at the Portland Gardening Club and was contacted about protecting a threatened Corbett Oak.

Not certain how to best preserve such trees, Reynolds contacted city arborist Robbie Robinson, who gave her a list of important trees he had seen around the city. Reynolds ventured to the locations and, to her dismay, found that many of them had already been cut down.

“Maybe if they were in a book, they would be saved,” she surmised at the time.

So Reynolds set out to survey notable urban trees, and in 1993, the first edition of “Trees of Greater Portland” was published. Containing 132 specimens, the book achieved its purpose and led to implementation of the Heritage Tree program.

Twenty years after the book’s release, Reynolds revisited some of the most significant trees and issued a second edition. The introduction her Paean to Urban Trees:

“The average life of a downtown tree is 13 years, and the average life of an urban tree outside of downtown is somewhere between 20 and 35 years. … We have been kind to our trees—many in this book are over 100 years old, far exceeding their expected lifespan.”

During the early days of the program, many committee members believed that Heritage Trees should be nominated solely by the community, suggesting that community members would then more likely work to care for them.

Anyone can nominate a Heritage Tree; the annual deadline is May 1. Nomination statements should include trunk circumference, tree condition and location. (Digital Heritage Tree Nomination Form.

There are 11 Heritage Trees in Northwest Portland, and May is considered the best month viewing.

A Dutch Elm on the 2400 block of Northwest Flanders Street was threatened with removal in 1963 until three architects formed Tree Lovers of Portland and chained a car to the tree on the day of its cutting. It was planted in the 1890s.

This Dutch Elm located on Northwest Johnson near 24th is one of the taller Heritage Trees in the neighborhood, standing 111 feet tall.

A Japanese Maple between 23rd and 24th on Northwest Kearney Street. The name of the species derives from the resemblance to the palm of a hand with fingers spread out. It was probably planted not long after 1907.

The Oregon White Oak at Northwest 23rd and Overton. Designated as a Heritage Tree in 1994. It was planted before the 1851 formation of Portland.

A marker is affixed to the trunk of each designated tree.