Tree Trails in Union County Parks

Visit the Tree Trails to learn more about the ecosystems in Union County parks. Tree Trails are paved pathways that meander past distinctive trees, which have been marked with green and white identification tags. A QR code on each tag provides more details.

The Tree Trails in Union County parks were created by the Master Tree Stewards of Union County, a community volunteer program run by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County with support from the Commissioner Board.

Any Union County resident can apply to become a Master Tree Steward volunteer. For more information call Union County 4-H Agent Jim Nichnadowicz at 908-654-9854 (ext. 3) or email jnichnadowicz@ucnj.org.

Tree trails can be found in the following Union County parks (visit ucnj.org/parks for a complete list of all Union County parks with maps):

• Oak Ridge Park in Clark (trail starts near the east end of the parking lot)
• Briant Park in Summit
• Cedar Brook in Plainfield
• Conant Park in Hillside
• Echo Lake Park in Mountainside
• Echo Lake Extension (trail starts behind the Mountainside municipal building)
• Meisel Park in Springfield
• Nomahegan Park in Cranford
• Phil Rizzuto Park in Elizabeth
• Rahway River Park in Rahway
• Sensory Friendly Trail in Mountainside
• Warinanco Park in Elizabeth

A Master Tree Stewards video about distinctive trees in Fanwood can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/HzPuZCpnj5g.

Trees play an essential role in the ecosystem of our parks and in the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

• Removing tons of pollution from the air each year 
• Combating climate change by removing carbon dioxide
• Lowering electric bills up to 50% by providing shade
• Reducing the heat-island effect 
• Preventing, flooding, erosion, and water pollution 
• Filtering groundwater by absorbing nutrients and toxins 
• Providing wildlife habitat 
• Unifying communities around natural landmarks 
• Potentially increasing property values up to 15% 
• Slowing water evaporation through shading
• Creating aesthetic screens and sound barriers
• Increasing patronage for local businesses 
• Marking historical and cultural events 
• Making memories: backyard swings, climbing, hide-and-seek games, picnics and more

Notable Trees of Union County

The following chart was created by Master Tree Steward Dean Talcott. It includes distinctive trees located in public parks and other properties open to public view. This chart was created in 2019 and may not reflect tree loss due to storm damage, old age and other circumstances.

For more details about notable trees in New Jersey visit the Big and Heritage Tree database of the New Jersey Forest Service at nj.gov/dep/parksandforests.

Click here for mobile version of the charts.

Latin Name	Common Name	Total points	Union Co. Rank	N.J. Rank	Circum. (inches)	Height (feet)	Crown (feet)	Location
Acer palmatum	Japanese Maple (Red)	203	1	1	134 @ 2’	57	48	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Acer rubrum	Red Maple	216	1	2	125	74	67.5	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Acer platanoides	Norway Maple	163	1	2	85	66	47	Fanwood Borough Hall
“	“	150	2	3	80	60	40	1st  Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth
“	Norway ‘Crimson King’ Maple	165	1	1	88	64	52	“
“	“	117	2	2	68	38	45	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Acer saccharinum	Silver Maple	285	1	2	194	77	54	Lincoln Ave. East, Cranford
Acer saccharum	Sugar Maple	263	1	5	154	90	76	Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit
Aesculus flava	Yellow Buckeye	246	1	1	146	87	54	Liberty Hall, Union
Aesculus hippocastanum	American Horsechestnut	250	1	1	179	55	63	“
“	“	175	2	3	92	75	32.5	Fanwood Borough Hall
“	“	148	3	5	83	55	42	Liberty Hall, Union
Carpinus betulus	European Hornbeam	93	1	2	46	41	23	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Carya cordiformis	Bitternut Hickory	182	1	1	90	76	64	Meisel Ave. Park, Springfield
Carya glabra	Pignut Hickory	199	1	2	88	98	53.5	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Catalpa speciosa	Northern Catalpa	205	1	3	106	90	35	Kent Place Blvd., Summit
Cedrus atlantica	Blue Atlas Cedar	189	1 (tie)	2 (tie)	106	69	55	Evergreen School, Plainfield
Cedrus atlantica	Blue Atlas Cedar	189	1 (tie)	2 (tie)	115	55	78	Oak Ridge Park, Clark
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	Falsecypress	173	1	1	88	76	36	Fairview Cemetery. Westfield
Chamaecyparis obtusa	Hinoki Falsecypress	123	1	1	65	50	31.5	“
Chamaecyparis pisifera	Sawara Falsecypress	248	1	1	148	78	43.5	“
Cercidiphullum japonicum	Katsura Tree	166	1	2	90	66	41.5	Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit
“	“	153	2	3	108 @ 2’	36	35	Sandmeier School, Springfield
Cladrastis kentuckea	Yellowwood	60	1	1	27	27	25.5	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Fagus grandifolia	American Beech	254	1	4	134	96	96	Echo Lake Park, Mountainside
“	“	204	2	5	82	108	56	“
Fagus sylvatica	European Beech	333	1	1	199	107	107	Liberty Hall, Union
“	“	320	2	3	209	88	94	Echo Lake Park, Mountainside
“	“	287	4	6	172	94	82	Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit
‘	‘	270	5	7	177	73	81	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
“	“	249	6	8	152	80	70	1st  Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth
Fraxinus americana	White Ash	315	1	2	185	105	99	Summit Village Green
“	“	301	2	3	185	97	75	Oak Ridge Park, Clark
“	“	278	3	5	168	90	78.5	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green Ash	261	1	2	123	120	70.5	1st  Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth
Gleditsia trichanthos	Honey Locust	263	1	2	141	104	72	Fanwood Borough Hall
“	“	187	2	3	97	74	62	Warinanco Park, Elizabeth
Gleditsia trichanthos inermis	Thornless Honey Locust	257	1	1	153	88	64	“
“	“	182	2	2	98	67	69	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Gymnocladus diolcus	Kentucky Coffee Tree	211	1	2	106	90	58	Liberty Hall, Union
Ilez opaca	American Holly	137	1	4	72	57	30	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Juglans nigra	Black Walnut	232	1	4	113	102	66	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Juglans nigra	Black Walnut	221	2	5	121	80	80	Woodland Rd., Fanwood
“	“	153	2	3	81	64	33	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Liquidambar styraciflua	Sweetgum	292	1	2	168	108	64	Rahway River Park, Rahway (River Rd.)
“	“	249	2	3	133	100	62.5	McConnell Park, Cranford
“	“	233	3	4	113	102	71.5	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Liriodendron tulipifera	Tuliptree	333	1	4	206	105	86	McConnell Park, Cranford
“	“	281	2	11	140	122	75	1st  Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth
“	“	228	2	3	140	73	61	Caldwell Parsonage, Union
Magnolia grandiflora	Southern Magnolia	126	1	1	68	49	34	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Magnolia grandiflora	Southern Magnolia	93	2	2	50	36	26	Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit
Magnolia stellata	Star Magnolia	228	1	1	177	39	50	Cedar Brook Park, Plainfield
“	“	222	2	2	156	55	44	Liberty Hall, Union
Magnolia x soulangiana	Saucer Magnolia	140	1	1	110	22	32	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Magnolia virginiana	Sweetbay Magnolia	126	1	1	80	37	36.5	Warinanco Park, Elizabeth
Metasequoia glyptostroboides	Dawn Redwood	205	1	3	94	102	37.5	Briant Park, Summit
“	“	171	2	4	87	74	41	Fanwood Borough Hall
Morus alba	White Mulberry	155	1	1	98	46	45.5	Trailside Museum
Nyssa sylvatica	Black Gum	282	1	2	145	115	88	Hanson Park, Cranford
Oxydendrum arboreum	Sourwood	92	1	2	44	40	31.5	Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit
Paulownia tomentosa	Empress Tree	257	1	2	157	86	57	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Picea pungens glauca	Colorado Blue Spruce	137	1	1	64	69	15	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Pinus densiflora “Umbraculfera”	Tanyosho Red Pine	170	1	1	111	49	38	“
Pinus strobus	Eastern White Pine	232	1	4	130	90	46	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Pinus sylvestris	Scotch Pine	107	1	1	66	35	24.5	“
Pinus thunbergii	Japanese Black Pine	161	1	1	100	51	41.5	“
“	“	277	2	3	164	96	68.5	“
“	“	228	3	4	132	81	61	Mindowaskin Park, Westfield
Platanus occidentalis	Sycamore	298	1	9	180	99	74	Echo Lake Park, Mountainside
Prunus avium	Sweet Cherry	152	1	1	75	67	38	“
Prunus serotina	Black Cherry	299	1	1	190	95	56	1st  Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth
Pseudotsuga menziesii	Douglas Fir	87	1	2	40	42	21	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Pyrus callerana	Callery Rear	165	1	1	97	60	30	Fanwood Borough Hall
Quercus alba	White Oak	292	1 (tie)	15 (tie)	166	98	111	Kean University, Union
“	“	282	2	18	176	90	63.5	Passaic St., New Providence
Quercus bicolor	Swamp White Oak	316	1	2	182	103	123	Lenape Park, Westfield
“	“	278	2	3	171	84	91	Kawameeh Park, Union
“	“	264	3	4	153	85	102	Kean University, Union
“	“	235	4	5	133	82	79	Hehnly School, Clark
Quercus coccinea	Scarlet Oak	282	1	3	154	104	97	Cedar Brook Park, Plainfield
“	“	244	2	4	124	102	72.5	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
“	“	239	3	5	122	96	83	Briant Park, Summit
Quercus macrocarpa	Bur Oak	291	1	1	163	105	91	Cleveland Plaza, Cranford
Quercus palustris	Pin Oak	318	1	1	197	96	101	New England Dr., Westfield
“	“	309	2	3	182	108	76	Hannah Caldwell School, Union
“	“	294	3	5	161	110	91	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
“	“	275	4	6	159	96	80	Oak Ridge Park, Clark
Quercus phellos	Willow Oak	181	1	3	92	74	58.5	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Quercus rubra	Northern Red Oak	345	1	3	233	91	89	Summit Ave., Summit
“	“	333	2	4	200	114	76	Unami Park, Garwood
“	“	331	3	5	202	115	57	Warinanco Park, Elizabeth
“	“	325	4	7	195	108	89	Tamaques Park, Westfield
“	“	318	5	9	213	80	101	Echo Lake Park, Mountainside
Quercus rubra	Northern Red Oak	294	6	10	166	108	80	1st  Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth
“	“	286	7	11	180	85	83	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
“	“	273	8	12	152	102	74	Mindowaskin Park, Westfield
Quercus velutina	Black Oak	290	1	3	191	76	94	Union Municipal Bldg.
Quercus velutina	Black Oak	269	2	4	142	107	80	LaGrande Park, Fanwood
“	“	256	3	5	139	96	84.5	Briant Pak, Summit
Sassafras albidum	Sassafras	256	1	2	174	69	53	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
“	“	223	2	3	140	70	52	“
Sophora japonica	Japanese Pagoda Tree	201	1	1	100	83	71	“
Taxus x media	Yew	183	1	2	124	48	42	Liberty Hall, Union
Thuga occidentalis	American Arborvitae	167	1	2	114	46	28	Oak Ridge Park, Clark
Tilia americana	American Linden	178	1	4	99	65	56	Fanwood Borough Hall
Tilia cordata	Little Leaf Linden	187	1	2	106	64	69	Rahway River Park, Rahway
“	“	178	2	3	109	56	50	Oak Ridge Park, Clark
“	“	155	3	4	79	64	47	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Tilia x euchlora	Crimean Linden	224	1	1	137	68	70	“
“	“	190	2	2	87	88	60	“
Tsuga canadensis	Eastern Hemlock	169	1	3	94	64	45.5	“
Ulmus americana	American Elm	206	1	6	122	59	100	Cedar Brook Park, Plainfield
Ulmus parvifolia “Alee”	Chinese Elm	57	1	1	26	26	21	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield
Zelkova serrata	Japanese Zelkova	158	1	2	86	60	46	Baker Ave., Westfield
“	“	133	2	3	81	39	50	Hurden-Looker Elem. School, Hillside

Union County residents can help educate the public on tree conservation, by joining the Master Tree Stewards volunteer program. No experience is needed. Tree Steward volunteers are trained by experts from the Rutgers New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station.

For more information about the Tree Stewards program, and to obtain an application form, click here.

One person can make a difference!

Union County resident Dean Talcott has been a Master Tree Steward since 2003. In that time he has: Recruited and mentored many new Tree Stewards; taught approximately 200 4th grade classroom lessons on trees (about 5,000 students); organized the creation of educational “Tree Trails” in Union County parks; made two educational films about trees in Union County; staffed the Master Tree Steward tree display at many public events and environmental fairs…and much, much more!

Join Dean and the Master Tree Stewards to share the wonders of trees with the Union County community, and beyond.