Winners Gallery
2024 Winners
Find all the winners in our official map.
2024 Large Tree Winner
McKinney Falls State Park - The Halloween Tree
This stunning tree, nestled between the Cactus and Onion Creek trails, captured hearts with its magnificent canopy and moss-covered branches, even in summer. For nominator Mariya Prytula, it became the highlight of McKinney Falls, offering a sense of wonder and connection to nature. 🌳✨
2024 Small Tree Winner
Town Lake Lonely Willow
This graceful willow, located off the Pleasant Valley Trail, stands out not just for its beauty but as a rare east-side tree to earn recognition. Peacefully resting near the lake and sharing its shade with visitors, this tree evokes mindfulness and perseverance for those who notice it. Nominated by Bear, it reminds us that every tree, no matter its size, can have a big impact. 🌿💚
2024 Schoolyard Tree Winner
Maplewood Elementary Corner Tree
Nestled on the southwest corner of the blacktop, this beloved tree at Maplewood Elementary has been a gathering spot for generations of students. Its low, climbable branches and generous shade make it the ultimate "giving tree," cherished by all who encounter it. Nominated by Billie Jo Elbom, it’s a true symbol of connection and childhood memories. 🌳❤️
2024 Story Tree Winner
Roy Guerrero Park City Overlook Tree
Standing tall above a ravine, the majestic "Grandmother Oak" at Roy Guerrero Park is a double-trunked live oak with an estimated age of several hundred years. Once part of the W.D. Miller Spring Wood Homestead, this ancient tree has witnessed generations of Indigenous People and Austin’s growth over the centuries. Nominated by Amy Annelle Dziewanna, it’s a living connection to our past and a symbol of resilience. 🌳✨
2024 Unique Tree Winner
Eastwoods Park T’ai Chi Chih Tree
At the heart of Austin’s historical Eastwoods Park stands a beloved old pecan tree, affectionately called the "T’ai Chi Chih tree." Over the years, this resilient tree has been a companion to Saturday morning practitioners, slowly leaning closer to the ground while remaining vibrant and alive. With its rich history tied to Juneteenth celebrations and Austin traditions, this tree is a living testament to endurance and change. Nominated by Michael Marx, it reminds us all of the beauty in resilience and the passage of time. 🌳✨
2023 Winners
Nominator: Erica Ortiz
Tree Species: Pecan Tree (Carya illinoinensis)
Location: Govalle Neighborhood Park
Address: 5200 Bolm Rd, Austin, TX 78721
Entering through the Shady Lane trails, the tree can be seen at the center of the park.
Description: It’s big, beautiful and majestic pecan!
Nominator: Alejandro Garcia
Tree Species: Live Oak (Quercus/live virginiana) Location: Bowie High School
Address: 4103 W Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78749
Description: This tree is a symbol of the school. At least 150 years old, it served as a beacon of hope during COVID when the school’s rallying cry was “until we meet at the tree.” When they were finally able to meet there again, the school came back to life.
Nominator: Jennifer Sabolcik
Tree Species: Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei)
Location: Mt. Bonnell Park
Address: 3800 Mt Bonnell Rd, Austin, TX 78731
Walk up the trail from the gated side of the parking lot (not the stairs). You will pass a circle of large stones. The tree is ahead on the right, perched on the cliff beyond the metal rope.
Description: It’s a beautiful small Ashe Juniper, growing almost on a rock. The bark has lovely twists and texture, and the roots are partially exposed. The roots are wavy. There is a lovely view of the water behind the tree, which brings out the green of its leaves.
Tree name: The Pecan Tree at Festival Beach Food Forest
Nominator: Heather Heiss
Tree Species: Pecan Tree (Carya illinoinensis) Location: Festival Beach Food Forest
Address: 29 Waller St, Austin, TX 78702
Description: This pecan tree represents community and connection. It is a special place to gather to share stories and gifts from nature. I regularly meet new gardening friends and learn about local edible plants beneath the shade of this tree. It invites you to come experience all the food forest has to offer!
Nominator: Roy Johnson
Tree Species: Live Oak (Quercus/live virginiana)
Location: St. Edward’s University
Address: 3001 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Use the Congress entrance at 3001 South Congress. Go straight down University Circle. At St. Joseph Hill, you will take a left. There will be a circle drive, and the tree will be to your left.
Description: The St. Joseph Hill Twisted Oak shows a rare and unique helical response. It is largely thought that trees do this over a long period of time to strengthen themselves against steady wind loads. In this case, likely a southwestern wind prior to some of the development on campus caused this response.
2022 Winners
Nominator: Joelle Jung
Tree Species: Live Oak (Quercus/live virginiana)
Location: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Address: 4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin, TX
Description: This tree is beautifully funky, doing the "bend & snap".
Tree name: The Pease Cupcake Tree
Nominator: dwg. and Clark Richardson Studio
Tree Species: Live Oak (Quercus fusiforma) Location: Former Pease Elementary School
Address: 1106 Rio Grande St, Austin, TX
Description: Sitting on the grounds of Pease Elementary School in Texas, The Cupcake Tree. Not only is this one of Austin’s largest Live Oaks, it is also the signature tree on the school's campus that has been, for generations, a place of learning, civic resilience, and ethnic and socio-economic diversity, all under the massive canopy of this ancient tree.
Photo credit: Jason Radcliff
Nominator: Irene Pickhardt
Organization: Brykerwoods Neighborhood Association
Tree Species: Live Oak (Quercus/live virginiana) Location: Bryker Woods Elementary
Address: 3309 Kerbey Ln, Austin, TX
Description: This magnificent tree has shaded the Bryker Woods Elementary school grounds since the school was built in 1939. Principal Alicia Hill says the teacher in the classroom with windows looking out at the branches of this tree has the best view.
Nominator: Jackie Vay
Organization: PEAS
Tree Species: Live Oak
Tree name: Sorin Oak
Location: St. Edwards University
Address: 3001 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX
Description: Sitting atop a dormant volcano, on the Hilltop at St. Edward's University, this tree is one of the oldest live oaks in Austin. At 250 years old, it has survived a major fire (in 1903), a tornado (in 1922), and has been a significant part of 137 years of the St. Edward's campus community. More information can be found at bit.ly/SorinOak.
Nominator: Joelynn Barclay
Tree Species: Desert Willow (Chilopsis)
Location: Enfield Rd and Lorrain St
Description: This desert willow has a lovely display of flowers each year. I really enjoy driving by it; even when traffic is slow, at least I get to see this lovely specimen!
Tree Nickname: "Old Baldy"
Tree Species: Bald Cypress Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: McKinney Falls State Park
Nominator: Gabriel Rejas
Tree Species: Pecan (Carya Illinoinensis) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: Heron Hollow Pocket Park, 801 Payton Gin Rd., Austin, Texas 78758
Photo Credit: Cionne Nodd
Nominator: Zoila Vega
Tree Species: Pecan (Carya Illinoinensis) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: Zilker Metro Park, 802 Azie Morton Rd., Austin, Texas 78704
Photo Credit: Kirsten Schneider
Tree Species: Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: Blunn Creek Greenbelt, 1801 1/2 East Side Dr., Austin, Texas 78704
Photo Credit: Cionne Nodd
Nominator: Kimberly White-Erlinger
Tree Species: Escarpment live oak (Quercus fusiformis) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, 1112 W 31st St., Austin, Texas 78705
Photo Credit: Cionne Nodd
2010 Community Tree Honorable Mention
Nominator: Highland Park Elemetary School Students
Tree Species: Burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Does Tree Still Exist? Yes
Location: Highland Park Elementary
4900 Fairview Dr., Austin, Texas 78731
Photo Credit: Cionne Nodd
Nominator: Nadene Morning
Tree Species: Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: Red Bud Isle, 3401 Redbud Trl., Austin, Texas 78746
Photo Credit: Cionne Nodd
Nominator: Nadene Morning
Tree Species: Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: Mayfield Park, 3805 W 35th St., Austin, Texas 78703
Photo Credit: Kirsten Schneider
Nominator: Chris Kite
Tree Species: Escarpment live oak (Quercus fusiformis) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: Central Park, 3820 1/2 Guadalupe St., Austin, Texas 78751
Photo Credit: Kirsten Schneider
Nominator: Maria Hansen
Tree Species: Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) Does Tree Still Exist? Yes Location: Pease District Park, 1100 Kingsbury St., Austin, Texas 78703
Photo Credit: Kirsten Schneider
