Kew Gardens Red Oak Commemorative plaque, 2022.
File information | File dimensions | File size | Options |
Original JPG File | 8400 × 6515 pixels (54.73 MP) 71.1 cm × 55.2 cm @ 300 PPI |
10.3 MB | Restricted |
Low resolution print | 2000 × 1551 pixels (3.1 MP) 16.9 cm × 13.1 cm @ 300 PPI |
1.6 MB | Restricted |
Screen | 1032 × 800 pixels (0.83 MP) 8.7 cm × 6.8 cm @ 300 PPI |
248 KB | Restricted |
Resource ID
10061
Access
Open
Address
46 Lee Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 2P1
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2022
Historical Themes
Indigenous Heritage, Parks and Natural Heritage
Program Category
Historical Plaques
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Time Period
1835-1899, 1900-1953, 1954-1998, 1999-today
Caption
Kew Gardens Red Oak Commemorative plaque, 2022.
Description
This red oak (Quercus rubra) is likely the oldest tree in Kew Gardens. Estimates suggest it sprouted in the early 1800s and produced its first acorns in the 1850s.
Kew Gardens is close to the eastern boundary of the land covered by Treaty 13 signed in 1805 by the British Crown and the Mississaugas at the head of Lake Ontario. This tree took root around the time the treaty was created. Before colonization, this part of the waterfront was a forest that contained many red oaks and natural creeks.
When this red oak was still young, the neighbouring land was farmed by Joseph Williams and Jane Henry. In 1879 the family turned this property into the Canadian Kew Gardens, which offered camping, picnicking, and amusements for tourists attracted by the beaches. The family sold the land to the City of Toronto in 1907 and it became a public park.
Red oaks are native to Southern Ontario and can be found throughout the city. Under optimal conditions, they can live to around 500 years old. Like many other tree species, red oaks have a root system that often extends two to three times the extent of its branches. This oak’s great size and age have made it a local landmark.
Marker lat / long: 43.669458, -79.297825 (WGS84)