Heritage Trees

HERITAGE TREE PROGRAM

The Town of Canandaigua Tree Team is pleased to present a Heritage Tree Program. The purpose of our program is to identify and celebrate exceptional trees for their historical, botanical, cultural or landmark value to our community. We encourage the preservation of large, valuable trees and we are working to increase public awareness about trees. Please click here for a full description of the Heritage Tree Program. 

If you have a tree that you would like to nominate, please click on the link at the bottom of the page to download the nomination form. 

November 2024 Update

The tree team serves to watch over the Town’s community forest. These are the woodlands growing on Town-owned land such as parks, cemeteries and the Town Hall campus. The Tree Team advises the Town on general tree health including disease, insect infestations and presence of invasive species, they also make suggestions for tree replacement. 

In April 2024, the Town Board adopted the Tree Team’s Heritage Tree Program. The purpose of the program is to identify and mark individual specimens or groups of trees that have notable biological, cultural, aesthetic, ecological or historical value to our community. Heritage Trees can be found in every community. In Canandaigua, they are an integral part of our natural and cultural landscapes and are often among the oldest living things in the Town. 

Those specimens designated as Heritage Trees will be identified as a mix of key characters: relative species size and shape, notable health and longevity, and high ecological importance to habitat, wildlife and people. The trees may represent a unique specimen or a landmark of cultural, social or historical significance.

The Tree Team has chosen two trees on Town property as Heritage Trees: A white oak at Hunn Cemetery that is believed to be between 300 to 350 years old and a Norway Spruce at Academy Cemetery that is believed to be between 200 to 250 years old. 

2024 Heritage Trees Inductees