On March 26, 2026 members of the Shade Tree Commission planted a sapling from the original Salem Oak in Wenonah Park. The Salem Oak was a white oak tree at the Salem Friends Burial Ground in Salem NJ, estimated to be more than 500 years old at the time of its collapse in 2019. Only months before the tree fell, foresters from the DEP Forest Service’s Conservation program collected acorns at the base of the oak. From those acorns, nearly 1,200 seedlings sprouted and nurtured in the greenhouse at the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery. Saplings were offered to all towns in NJ. Once in hand, the sapling was nurtured by Certified Gardener and Wenonah Resident Niki Odenbrett for 3 years. Wenonah is now part of The Great Salem Oak’s rebirth from American history. May generations forward enjoy it growth, beauty and shade.
