Last spring, the city planted the bare block with a mix of trees, including willow oaks, swamp white oaks and golden rain trees.

Hundred-foot-tall willow oaks form a canopy over residential areas surrounding the business district, and pine, magnolia and hickory trees flurished.

It contains 55 types of trees and shrubs, identified by common and scientific names, including the large willow oak which is over 100 years old.

The adults include a London plane tree, a linden, a willow oak.

Over the past year the city has planted about 50 gingkos, lindens, white-blossomed pears and willow oaks along Madison Avenue from 86th to 96th Street.

During early 1934, the tree was cut down and replaced with double row of willow oaks.

Other tree species include red oaks, water oaks, willow oaks, blackgum, sweetgum, beech and hackberry.

It typically grows with other coastal plain species such as willow oak and sweetbay magnolia.

So there are no little flags or cast-iron fences around the willow oaks and wild pinks she considers gems.

Fifteen-foot high cottonwoods grow amid thickets of willow, gamble oak and tamarisk.