The Survivor Tree

A scarred American elm on a small terrace on the eastern edge of the National Memorial grounds — the tree that survived the 1995 bombing, set deliberately into the design of the memorial as a symbol of resilience. The trunk is bent, parts of the bark are missing, and a wire fence keeps visitors from touching it; in spring it puts out leaves anyway.

Five minutes' contemplation; an unmissable part of any memorial visit. The plaque at its base carries the inscription "the spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated."

things to do sight
A story
The American elm survived the bombing standing in a parking lot directly opposite the Murrah Building, scorched and partially stripped by the blast but not killed. Cuttings have been propagated and sent to schools, military bases and memorials across the United States; descendants of the tree now grow at the Pentagon, in New York, in Sandy Hook, and at the locations of dozens of other tragedies.

Other places in Things to Do