A tree grows in Richmond Hill

From the Daily News:

A young red oak sapling that sprouted from the beloved Robin Hood tree, is stretching its roots in Richmond Hill.

It will be replanted on Wednesday not far from where the 300-year-old tree fell four years ago during a 2010 storm.

The red oak, also called the “Castle” by neighborhood kids, has been tended to by a local homeowner under the watchful eye of the Parks Dept. for the past three years.

“We miss the cool shade that its lofty branches brought to our street every summer,” said resident Helen Day. “I hope the sapling will grow strong and tall in its place.”

“It’s a pretty unique tree to that neighborhood,” added Matthew Stephens, director of tree planting for the Parks Department. “It’s always been our intention to replant that tree along the street as a memorial to the parent tree.”

Located at the intersection of 112th St. and 84th Ave., the tree served as a gateway to the neighborhood, said Richmond Hill Historical Society President Ivan Mrakovcic.