Tree of the Year
2026 Tree of the Year: Kwanzan Cherry between Lancaster Walk and Volleyball Courts
2026 Tree of the Year
Drexel Climate & Sustainability and EcoReps are pleased to announce the winner of the 2026 Drexel Tree of the Year pageant: the Kwanzan cherry (also known as Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’) located between Lancaster Walk and the volleyball courts on the University City campus.
The tree was nominated by Cameron Faulhaber ('27 Environmental Studies & Sustainability and Global Studies), who says of the tree: "I’m nominating this tree because I pass it all the time and I love seeing the flowers bloom in the spring and cover the ground/people in pink petals. I see a lot of people climbing it or reading underneath it and it makes people happy :)".
Everyone in the Drexel community is invited to celebrate the Tree of the Year with us, on Thursday, May 14, at 1 p.m. at the tree. We will unveil the tree's commemorative plaque and enjoy some tree-themed trivia.
About Tree of the Year
The Tree of the Year program crowns a favorite campus tree. The Climate & Sustainability team accepts tree nominations from all members of the campus community, including students, faculty, professional staff and alumni, and everyone in the Drexel community can vote for their favorite nominee.
Trees Are an Essential Part of Our Campus Landscape
Trees offer a number of practical benefits: they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, improve air quality, hold water in the soil, enrich soil with fallen leaves, and create shelter for wildlife.
Just as importantly, trees add beauty and character to Drexel's campus. We enjoy their shade in the summer, marvel at their variety of color in the fall and feel an emotional resonance when they burst back to life in the spring. Trees are living monuments providing a sense of calm and solace.
Drexel is committed to cultivating a healthy native urban forest as a part of accessible and enjoyable public green space on our University City campus. The University's grounds maintenance department has been recognized by the Professional Grounds Management Society for excellence in grounds maintenance and commitment to sustainable practices.
Past Tree of the Year Winners
- 2024: Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum, outside Stratton Hall
- 2025: Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, outside Stratton Hall
Fun Facts About Drexel’s Urban Forest
- Campus trees are managed by Drexel’s Grounds department, part of the division of Real Estate and Facilities. The Grounds department oversees roughly ten acres of campus green space and its trees, lawns, and flowers.
- Some of the wildlife species that rely on University campus trees include include gray squirrels, American robins, red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, house sparrows, European starlings, northern mockingbirds and a wide array of other migratory bird species. Drexel's trees also house a wealth of insect life that many bird species dine on.
- There are over 45 Yoshino cherry trees planted along Market Street – they symbolize luck, good fortune, and success for years to come. These trees typically bloom just in time for the start of the spring term.
- There are more than 25 tree species represented on our campus, including maple, oak, elm, cherry sycamore, zelkova and locust.
- During each fall term, crews from the Grounds department collect fallen leaves and send them to an off-campus composting service. In 2023 over 40 tons of leaves and branches were removed to become valuable compost.