ORLANDO, Fla. — A living connection between two of the nation’s darkest days continues to grow in Orlando.
A seedling descended from the 9/11 Survivor Tree now stands at Harry P. Leu Gardens, where it serves as a memorial to resilience, remembrance and the bond formed between New York and Orlando following the Pulse nightclub attack.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum selected Orlando to receive the seedling in 2016 after 49 people were killed at Pulse on June 12 of that year. Orlando was selected alongside San Bernardino, California, and France through the memorial’s Survivor Tree Seedling Program.
The seedling was later planted at Harry P. Leu Gardens with the hope that it would grow into a symbol of the Orlando community’s resilience.
Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the once-small tree has grown substantially.
A tree that survived 9/11
The original Survivor Tree is a Callery pear tree that was discovered damaged in the rubble at the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The tree was removed from the site and nursed back to health before eventually being returned to the 9/11 Memorial plaza in New York City. It has since become a symbol of survival, healing and resilience.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum began its Survivor Tree Seedling Program in 2013, distributing seedlings to communities that have experienced tragedy.
Seeds from the Survivor Tree are cultivated before seedlings are presented to selected communities, where they are intended to grow as long-term memorials.
Connection between New York and Orlando
The relationship between the 9/11 Memorial and Orlando deepened in the aftermath of the Pulse attack.
Just days after the shooting, hundreds of people gathered at the Survivor Tree in New York for a tribute to the victims. The memorial later selected Orlando for one of its seedlings and has continued working with the community on remembrance and healing efforts.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer highlighted the tree Friday as the nation marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Following the Pulse tragedy, communities around the country sent love to Orlando,” Dyer wrote. “The support included a gift from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, which provided a seedling from the 9/11 Survivor Tree.”
Dyer said the tree has grown into a symbol of Orlando’s strength and resilience.
Harry P. Leu Gardens Executive Director Jennifer D’hollander also reflected on the memorial, describing the tree as a living tribute to the people killed on Sept. 11 and those forever changed by the attacks.
Visitors to Leu Gardens can see the tree and a plaque explaining its significance.
Learn more about the 9/11 Memorial Survivor Tree
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