At Harry P. Leu Gardens, a young tree that began as a seedling from the 9/11 Survivor Tree in New York now stands as a living emblem of resilience for Orlando. The planting links the city directly to the broader national response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and to the local recovery after the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016.
From rubble to roots: the Survivor Tree's journey
The original Survivor Tree, a Callery pear discovered severely damaged at the World Trade Center site, was nursed back to health and returned to the National September 11 Memorial plaza in New York. In 2013, the memorial launched a Survivor Tree Seedling Program to distribute propagated seedlings to communities affected by tragedy.
Orlando was selected to receive one of those seedlings in 2016, after 49 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub on June 12 of that year. The memorial chose Orlando alongside San Bernardino, California, and a community in France as recipients of seedlings intended to grow into long-term memorials.
What the tree represents locally
Planted at Leu Gardens, the seedling was intended to become a symbol of remembrance and resilience within the Orlando community. Over the past decade, the tree has grown substantially, marking a living connection between the Sept. 11 attacks and the Pulse tragedy — two events that shaped national and local grief and recovery.
"Following the Pulse tragedy, communities around the country sent love to Orlando,"
The words from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, shared when the city highlighted the tree as the nation observed the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, underscore how the gift was part of a broader outpouring of support from across the country.
- 2013 — National September 11 Memorial & Museum begins Survivor Tree Seedling Program.
- 2016 — Orlando selected to receive a seedling following the Pulse nightclub attack.
- 2026 — The seedling at Leu Gardens has matured into a visible reminder of resilience as communities mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11.
Local significance and continued remembrance
For Orlando residents, the tree serves several functions: a public memorial, a site for reflection, and a symbol of solidarity between cities that have endured tragedy. The association with Leu Gardens — a widely visited public botanical garden — situates the tree in a daily, civic landscape rather than in a closed institutional setting.
Garden staff and community leaders have emphasized the long-term nature of the memorial program: seedlings are intended to be cultivated as permanent living tributes that grow alongside the communities that host them. That intention aligns with Orlando’s broader efforts to preserve memory and provide public spaces for commemoration and healing.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Sept. 11 terrorist attacks; Survivor Tree discovered and replanted at memorial. |
| 2013 | Survivor Tree Seedling Program established. |
| 2016 | Orlando selected to receive a seedling after the Pulse shooting. |
| 2026 | Seedling at Harry P. Leu Gardens has grown substantially; marks 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. |
As communities continue to mark anniversaries of both Sept. 11 and Pulse, the Leu Gardens planting provides a physical reminder that memorialization can take many forms, including living landscapes that change and grow over time. For survivors, family members and neighbors, the tree offers a place to gather and reflect.
Maintaining such a memorial also raises practical questions about care and stewardship. Leu Gardens, which manages numerous plantings and memorial features throughout its grounds, has responsibility for ensuring the seedling’s ongoing health as it matures into a larger tree.
Because the Survivor Tree program intentionally places seedlings in communities affected by violence, each planted tree carries dual histories — of the original tree’s survival in New York and of the local event that prompted the gift. In Orlando, that dual history is especially visible because of the direct linkage to the Pulse tragedy and the city’s continuing work to honor victims and support healing initiatives.
As the tree at Leu Gardens grows, it will remain a public, living marker: an evolving memorial that reflects both national memory and local resilience.
