Historical Name: Washington Irving
Common Name: Sycamore
Latin Name: Platanus occidentalis
Born in New York City on April 3, 1783, Washington Irving was named by his British-born parents for General George Washington. Irving traveled extensively in this country and abroad, served in diplomatic positions at American embassies in Europe, and wrote numerous books of fiction, history and biography. However, he is best remembered for his stories, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” After returning from Europe Irving purchased, in 1835, the small stone cottage in Tarrytown, New York that was to become Sunnyside. During the late 18th century, the cottage was owned by a branch of the Van Tassel family, the name Irving immortalized in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Sunnyside’s setting, overlooking the Hudson River, combined with winding pathways, sheltered groves, beautiful gardens and a pond he called his “little Mediterranean” create a truly romantic landscape over which stands the Washington Irving Sycamore. This first internationally successful American author’s home remains today much as it was in his final years in the historic Hudson River Valley. This tree grew from a seed taken from the Washington Irving Sycamore, and was planted into UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove in 1997.
(text adapted from American Forests)