Philanthropist Arthur Ross, left, and scientist David Karnosky next to a Central Park Splendor® Chinese elm on Long Island

Legend has it that in the 1870s, the King of Prussia presented an exceptionally large and hardy Chinese elm as a gift to the City of New York. The tree grew in Central Park until 1993, when it was taken down as a hazard to passersby. Fortunately, by then Dr. David Karnosky had cloned and propagated the elm with the support of the Arthur Ross Foundation.

Now patented as Central Park Splendor®, more than 1,000 offspring of the original tree have been planted in New York city parks.

Dr. Karnosky has traveled to China with 150 Central Park Splendor® elms, where they will be studied by scientists. For more information, click here.

Reporters: 300 dpi jpg images are available by clicking on any of the four photos on this page.

The original Central Park Splendor® Chinese elm in New York

David Karnosky with Central Park Splendor® Chinese elm saplings in a Michigan Tech greenhouse

David Karnosky with Central Park Splendor leaf tissue cultures in his lab