By Josh Williams
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — One of the most important pieces of the 9/11
Memorial isn’t rising in lower Manhattan, it’s growing in New Jersey soil.
The 9/11 Memorial Trees, 500 Swamp White Oaks and Sweetgums, are being carefully tended in individual planter boxes in a Millston Township tree farm until they reach full size and are ready to be transported to Ground Zero.
“They are growing real well, they look much better then when we first got them,” said certified master arborist Jason Bond, whose company, Bartlett Tree Experts, fertilizes, trims and maintains the trees. “They are receiving the Cadillac version of care.”
The saplings are being cultivated to grow perfectly symmetrically, with a solid root system ready to handle the shock of being transplanted. It's a difficult task, made harder by the continuing construction delays and the fact that all the trees will have to fit onto the roof of the Memorial, experts said.
The trees will be cultivated until they reach a 12-foot “clear trunk height” and a overall height of 25 to 32 feet, experts said. They can be seen in satellite photos captured by Google Earth.
Once the trees are planted, they'll bring a swirl of fall colors to Ground Zero — as the Swamp White Oaks turn golden brown and sometimes pink, while the Sweetgum trees turn red and gold.
The National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum foundation plans to offset the costs of the trees by selling tree-themed holiday ornaments that run $25 to $35 apiece.
"‘I find it therapeutic to work with these trees," Bond said,"Fifty years down the road my grandkids will be able to see them.”
