8. London Plane (Bridle Path near East 96th Street)
The London Planetree is New York’s most common species, comprising 12% of the city’s trees. A favorite of NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, London Planes were planted throughout the city in the middle of the 20th century. But this one is special, as it has the distinction of being the oldest tree in Central Park. According to nature writer Dennis Burton, it may well have been planted when the Reservoir was dug in 1862, which dates it back to the Civil War.
You can’t miss it coming around the bend of the Bridle Path. It stands 95.94 feet tall with a diameter of over five feet, thanks to its distinctive multiple trunks. One limb juts out like a lightning bolt over joggers and passersby. If you get close enough, you can observe its bark, mottled and patchy like an impressionist painting. We recommend taking a moment, sitting beneath it, and feeling history against your back.