On December 22, 2010, a beloved Callery pear tree was returned to the 9/11 Memorial plaza in New York City. This tree, known as the Survivor Tree, had been discovered in the rubble at Ground Zero — snapped, scorched, and barely alive.

Cared for by the dedicated team at the Arthur Ross Nursery in the Bronx, the tree was tenderly nurtured for nearly a decade, a daily act of devotion. Ronaldo Vega, the Memorial’s Senior Director of Design, reflected on its resilience: “This tree is a fighter. It’s a New Yorker.”

Scarred but unbroken, the Callery pear flourished. In spring, it blossoms. In fall, it shines with color. Life still pulses through its branches, a living tribute to survival, strength, and spirit.

Each year, seedlings from the Survivor Tree are gifted to communities recovering from tragedy — in Waukesha, Uvalde, Little Rock, Ukraine, Buffalo, Miami‑Dade, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Manchester, Charleston, Maui, Haiti… and more. In every sapling, the Survivor Tree’s message of resilience ripples outward to rebirth and renewal.

Today, the Survivor Tree stands tall and strong near the South Pool, a living reminder that life returns. That hope can grow from the ashes. That we can heal. And like the tree, we begin our second life, too…