The fall of a weathered tree in Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park has left many Oyster Bay residents mourning the loss of a local landmark that inspired artists, photographers and beachgoers for years.
Known affectionately as the “Sad Tree,” the lone tree near the entrance to the waterfront was knocked down during a severe storm on June 6. Within hours, photos of it spread across social media.
The tree’s distinctive appearance dated back to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when part of it was damaged, leaving it with a permanent leaning to one side. Over time, its unusual silhouette, overlooking Oyster Bay Harbor, became a familiar sight and earned it its nickname.
Laura Escobar, owner of Hive Market and Gallery in Oyster Bay, said the tree had become much more than part of the landscape. “Sad tree was not just a tree, but a sentinel,” Escobar summarized in a follow-up statement. “A symbol of hope, strength, beauty, nature, and home.”
The tree, Escobar said, drew visitors from Oyster Bay and beyond, with former residents often seeking it out during return visits to town.
For the past five years, Hive Market has sold artwork featuring the tree, including candles, greeting cards, decoupage shell art, photography, apparel, plaques and stickers. Escobar said that interest in those items has surged since the storm.
“Our sales for Sad Tree art have skyrocketed since June 6, 2026, the day the storm took her,” she said. “Our Sad Tree candle sold out in two days.”
Artists from neighboring communities regularly created works inspired by the tree’s distinctive profile. Among them is Syosset resident Mike Weinstein, who first noticed it over a decade ago during visits to the beach. An investment adviser by profession, Weinstein creates artwork as a hobby, combining photography and shells collected from beaches.
The tree’s appeal, he said, came from both its unusual shape and its solitary location along the shoreline. “The shape of the tree — the fact that it’s by itself, kind of on its own on a beach,” Weinstein said. “You can’t really go to the beach there and not notice it.”
One of his pieces features a photo of the tree enhanced with painted elements and shells attached to its branches. The work is displayed at Hive Market.
Weinstein said the tree represented perseverance, comparing it to the New York Knicks’ captain, Jalen Brunson.
“That tree was like a fighter,” Weinstein said. “It got knocked down probably many times over the years, and got right back up.”
Despite years of exposure to storms and harsh waterfront conditions, he said, the tree remained a constant presence through every season. “It was very humble,” he said. “It was never the most beautiful tree ever. It was interesting.”
Dave Golon, arborist and horticulturalist with Wonderland Tree Care + Landscapes, said the tree’s unusual growth pattern likely contributed to its downfall. “The way that tree grew,” Golon said, “inherently put all the weight on one side of it.”
After examining photos of the fallen tree, he said it appeared to have suffered from significant internal decay. Based on its size, Golon estimated that it was likely between 40 and 50 years old, although no one had identified the tree’s species by press time.
The town removed the tree quickly after the storm. Golon said that residents contacted to ask whether it could be saved, or even reassembled. “Somebody emailed us, [and] asked if we could bolt it back together,” he said. “It was beyond doing anything.”
Now, some residents are hoping the site will receive a permanent tribute. Escobar said she would like the Town of Oyster Bay to install a plaque or plant a replacement tree in its honor. Golon also suggested planting a new tree in the area.
For many residents, however, the legacy of the Sad Tree will endure regardless of what comes next.
“Some landmarks mark a place,” Escobar wrote. “Sad Tree marked a feeling — a connection to nature, to community, and to home.”
