Tree of the Year Submissions

Welcome

Thank you to all the submitters! Staff will post the submissions on this page for the community to see. Please note as outlined in the contest that some of the submissions have been edited for clarity.

Click here to learn more about the Tree of the Year contest and to nominate a tree.

All Submissions

In this section

Anne Boynton-Trigg - Rain and Glory

Location: Riviera Dr. and Suarez St.

Reason for Nomination: Although battered by the recent rain, this tree is glorious in its structure and bloom.

A large Royal Ponciana tree with red flowers stands on a rainy day with fallen petals

A large Royal Ponciana tree with red flowers stands on a rainy day

Sherry Celesia - Rainbow

Location: Cortez and SW 15th Street

Species: Rainbow Eucalyptus

Reason for Nomination: I never knew such a tree existed until I moved here! Its beauty is so special. It looks like an artist used chalk paints to create it! When my friends and family come to visit we always go to this tree and everyone stares in awe. While I love the mighty banyan trees, this is my new favorite!

A large tree with red, yellow, and green bark stands in front of a sidewalk with trees and blue sky in the background

Charles "Rick" Carr - Colors and Sabicu

Location: 3 way Intersection; Campo Sano Avenue at Campo Sano Ct. ("east side")

Tree Species: Lysiloma sabicu

Reason for Nomination: Its leaves change, and it creates a show of color. Being localized in the Caribbean Basin makes it a "near native".

A Sabicu tree with orange leaves in front of larger green leave trees and blue sky

Sabicu tree with orange leaves with larger green trees and blue sky in the back.

Claudia Espinoza - The Big Timer

Location: Sunset Drive

Reason for Nomination: This Banyan was love at first sight. [When I was younger] I would climb a huge banyan and swing off its vines with my brother and neighbors. My mom called it the Big Timer. We eventually introduced it to my own children. The Banyan roots grow from its branches so it’s always growing outwards as our seeds should.

POV looking up at a Banyan Tree with wrapping branches

Banyan Tree with wrapping branches and a woman wearing black stands next to it

Dariel Gonzalez - Merrick Shack

Location: Castile Ave. and S Greenway Dr.

Reason for Nomination: The tree has surrounded an original wooden beam of the Merrick shack, their first home when they moved down from Duxbury Mass. The shack was moved to that spot and used as an office for Merrick’s plantation.

A large banyan tree stands in a patch of grass. A green sign is next to it.

The Oak and the New

Tree Species
Live oak
Location
Santillane Ave. & Galiano St.
Reason for Nomination
Easy and beautiful integration between a old tree and a new, not luxurious, building.

A large oak tree stands in front of a new building with blue sky in the background

Clara Ferreira - The Warrior on Santander Street

Location: 341 Santander Street

Tree Species: Live Oak

Reason for Nomination: This tree has stood here long before any numbered house existed, as evidenced by the attached 1935 photograph of the former Hotel San Sebastian. It weathered the 1926 hurricane as a young tree and may now be the last survivor of the original grove on the east side of Le Jeune Road. This remarkable tree has withstood fierce storms, challenging neighbors, and even severe damage inflicted on its roots by City Public Works. Despite these hardships, it stands majestically, albeit slightly inclined due to arbitrary cuts. For all these reasons, we are nominating this symbol of strength and endurance.

Aerial shot of a giant green Oak tree's branches reaching out unto a blue sky with

Black and white photo of an aerial view of the city with a yellow highlight encircling a tree in the distance

Flamboyant

Location: William H Kerdyk Jr. and Family Park 6611 Yumuri Street

Tree Species: Delonix Regia (Royal Poinciana)

Reason for Nomination: This beautiful Royal Poinciana, amidst others at William H Kerdyk and Family Park, is resplendent with a canopy of orange-red flowers. Also known as Flamboyant, it is easy to see how fitting a name that is for this brilliant and majestic tree. What a spectacle to enjoy while walking the park or shopping nearby!

A large Royal Ponciana in bloom with orange flowers stands on a green space with a large apartment complex and sunny day as backdrop

Very Demure

Location: William H Kerdyk Jr. and Family Park 6611 Yumuri Street

Tree Species: Silk Floss Tree, Ceiba speciosa

Reason for Nomination: This Silk Floss tree in full bloom at the intersection of Yumuri Street and San Remo Avenue is absolutely stunning. Dwelling alone and demure in its urban setting, it is a sight to behold in its glorious raiment.

A large tree with pink flowers in bloom in front of a building and blue sky on warm day

The Elephant's Foot

Location: 6221 Leonardo St.

Tree Species: Baobab

Reason for Nomination: As a community, we celebrated the Baobab tree at this year's Arbor Day. We were fortunate to plant a beautiful 20 year old Baobab tree and we provided citizens with details of the wonder of this tree. The tree I've nominated is certainly much older and has the characteristic "elephant's foot" look at the trunk. It is a beauty.

A large baobab tree in front of a lit up house at night with a dark blue sky above

Nicole - Giant Mushroom of the Granada Golf Course

Location: S Greenway Dr. / Granada

Tree Species: Banyan

Reason for Nomination: She’s GREEN and grandiose. It looks like an atomic bomb of nature is erupting in the middle of the golf course. My friend thinks of me and snaps a pic of her every time she walks on South Greenway. This tree takes my breath away, nourishes my heart, and helps me connect with others.

Been Around the Block

Location: Young Park Triangle

Tree Species: Live Oak

Reason for Nomination: Given it's location and appearance, I'm guessing this is one of the early-planted trees in CG. It's seen a lot--maybe all 100 years. It's reminiscent of our City--beautiful, old, and has seen it's own growth and sprawl, demonstrates a need of loving care/maintenance.

A massive oak with many branches tilted and growing on the ground at a park

Connie Crowther - Big Guy

Location: At the corner or University Drive and Palmarito Street, on the north side of the intersection.

Tree Species: Banyan

Reason for nomination: My favorite tree in Coral Gables is the first giant banyan in a row of four that form a magical tunnel along University Drive. It stands at the end of my street, Palmarito. I pass by it daily, always looking up, enjoying the light streaming through. For 50+ years, I’ve called it “Big Guy.” Anyone driving southwest on University Drive between Palmarito and Montserrat has likely felt its dappled shade. As an anchoring tree, Big Guy embodies nature’s beauty and strength, a true symbol of Coral Gables, the City Beautiful. I often stop to see how time, storms, and life have shaped it. It was here long before us and will remain long after. We’ve been friends for half a century, and I will greet Big Guy as long as I can.

A Banyan tree stands tall with a warm, sunny blue sky peeking at the sides

Empty road, on the side to the right, a large Banyan tree

New and Acclaimed

Location: University Dr. and Camilo Ave.

Tree Species: Baobob

Reason for nomination: I know this is a NEW tree and got some acclaim at its Arbor Day planting, but I just love the uniqueness of this tree and the potential education around it.

Young Baobob tree stands with silver guards rails and wooden support beams on sunny day

Miami Style

Location: University Ct. and Segovia St.

Tree Species: Pink shower - Cassia Bakeriana

Reason for nomination: Beautiful bloom that reminds me of cherry blossoms, Miami style.

Stunning Roots

Location: TBD

Tree Species: Not sure

Reason for nomination: Roots are stunning.

A tree by the entrance of a driveway has roots like spider legs standing on points

Merrick fig

Location: Castile Ave. and S Greenway Dr.

Tree Species: Fig Tree

Reason for nomination: The Coral Gables Plantation, established in 1906 by Solomon Merrick, once consisted of 3,000 acres of grapefruit groves, where it would lay the foundation for the for the city that emerged from its fertile land. Today, the plantation's packing house is only survived by a single wooden plank, wedged between the aerial roots of a modest fig tree.

Close up shot of a large tree with stringy and veiny branches and roots

Large tree from distance on side of the street, very green leaves branching upwards with blue sky peeking through branches

Bonnie Bolton - Bicentennial

Location: Antilla Ave. and Douglas Rd.

Tree Species: Oak

Reason for nomination: This tree is more than 200 years old.

Currently, no photo for this tree.

Laura Roselione - Magic Oak

Location: Country Club Prado and S Greenway Dr.

Tree Species: Oak

Reason for nomination: This oak along Country Club Prado is just magical and perfect. It is old and strong, but fragile, like Coral Gables.

At dusk on green space an oak tree stands with massive branches stretching out in all directions

Karelia Martinez Carbonell - Live Oaks Draped in Moss

Location: E. Ponce de Leon and Phoenetia Avenue.

Tree Species: Live Oaks

Reason for nomination: Old Florida in 100-year old Coral Gables. Live Oaks Draped in Moss. These trees line a section of the "garden district" on E. Ponce de Leon and Phoenetia Avenue. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is one of the most recognizable and enchanting plants in Florida's natural landscape. Often seen draped over the branches of live oaks and cypress trees, this fascinating plant adds a touch of Southern charm and mystery to any garden.

Oak tree between road and sidewalk with long growths of gray, Spanish moss

Row of oak trees on sides of a sidewalk, heavy with Spanish moss

Judith Packard - The Storyteller at Crystal Academy

Location: 107 Antilla Ave.

Tree Species: Oak

Reason for nomination: At the heart of Crystal Academy’s playground, located at 107 Antilla Ave., stands a breathtaking 200-year-old oak tree—a symbol of resilience, beauty, and childhood joy. Its immense branches stretch wide, creating a natural haven where children gather, laugh, and explore. The tree’s thick, textured trunk tells the story of centuries past, while its sprawling roots weave through the playground like nature’s own masterpiece.

For generations, this majestic oak has provided shade on sunny days, a refuge during quiet moments, and an endless source of adventure for young minds. Whether students are playing hide-and-seek, reading beneath its leafy embrace, or simply marveling at its grandeur, the tree has become an irreplaceable part of the school’s identity.

This magnificent oak is not just a tree—it is a legacy. Its presence at Crystal Academy deserves recognition, ensuring that future generations will continue to enjoy its strength, beauty, and the sense of wonder it inspires.

Sunrise/dusk, Sun shines through a massive oak tree standing by a playground casting its shadow on the grass

Sunny day, large oak is silhouetted and shades a grassy playground

Judith Packard - Date Palm in the Garden

Location: Galiano St. and Antilla Ave.

Tree Species: Date Palm Tree

Reason for nomination: Amidst the lush beauty of Our Lord’s Garden stands a remarkable date palm, a tree of grace and historical significance. For many years, this towering palm has been a striking presence, its long, arching fronds adding to the garden’s serene and sacred atmosphere. Surrounded by a diverse array of vibrant plants, it serves as both a natural centerpiece and a symbol of endurance, deeply rooted in biblical tradition.

The garden itself, built by Robert Fitch Smith, is a place of reflection and spiritual connection, and this date palm stands as a living testament to its legacy. It has stood the test of time, offering shade, beauty, and a quiet reminder of the rich history and faith associated with palm trees throughout the ages.

For its longevity, elegance, and profound cultural and spiritual significance, this date palm deserves to be recognized and preserved as an integral part of Our Lord’s Garden.