Did you know that the London planetree is the most common species of tree in New York City? The fun fact is one of many which can be gleaned from a new interactive map launched by the City of New York, allowing users to explore the city’s tree population. The NYC Tree Map replaces NYC Park’s previous Street Tree Map, and contains data on over 860,000 park and street trees within what the creators call “the most comprehensive and up-to-date living tree map in the world.”

Trees on the interactive map are represented by circles, with the size and color of each circle representing the tree’s diameter and species, respectively. Users can gather data for an entire species of tree, trees in a particular borough or neighborhood, or each individual tree across the map, learning about the tree’s contribution to stormwater management, energy conservation, or air pollutant removal.

For example, the map notes that the 4,265 trees recorded in the Lower East Side intercept over 5.8 million gallons of stormwater per year, saving the city almost $58,000 while conserving almost 3,600,000 kWh of energy, saving the city over $450,000. The database calculates that, in total, the 860,000 trees across New York City offer the city almost $130 million in ecological benefits per year, including removing over 1.5 million pounds of air pollutants and over 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.

In addition to its archival use, the database allows users to record their favorite trees under the “My Trees” function. Users can also record any steps they have taken to care for their trees through the “Record Your Care” button, where they can input the date, length, and type of stewardship activity they participated in.

The map is one of a series of developments regarding New York City’s tree population in 2022. In March, New York City lawmakers called on Mayor Adams to double investment in the city’s parks, in line with a campaign promise of his, while in February, the city’s five borough presidents united to call for a million new trees to be planted across the city by 2030.

Last year, meanwhile, artist Maya Lin opened her Ghost Forest installation in Madison Square Park to bring attention to the climate crisis.