New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx in Bronx County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Sidney Waxman's Conifers
Sidney Waxman searched high and low for witches' brooms to propagate as dwarf conifers.
These beds feature many plants introduced by Sidney Waxman (1923-2005), a longtime professor of plant science at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Waxman discovered that from witches' brooms, clumps of unusually dense growth in otherwise normal treas produce a high percentage dwarf trees. He hunted for witches' brooms throughout New England, sometimes using a rifle to shoot Bower cones from high branches. Then he planted the seeds and observed the resulting seedlings to find unusual plants to clone and introduce as cultivars. Waxman was patient, in some cases waiting more than 20 years before deciding whether a plant was worthy of naming and propagating for use in gardens.
In his 40-year career, Waxman planted more than 200,000 seedlings and introduced 40 conifer cultivars, including many dwarf and miniature varieties of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). His introductions are renowned for their beauty and resilience.
Erected by New York Botanical Garden.
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Location. 40° 51.409′ N, 73° 52.517′ W. Marker is in Bronx, New York, in Bronx County. It is in New York Botanical Garden. It can be reached from Bronx Park Road east of Waterfall Trail, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bronx NY 10467, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New York City. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, the Western Hemisphere, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Historic Landscape (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Metasequoia: Living Fossil (about 400 feet away); American Elm: A Survival Story (about 400 feet away); Judy and Michael Steinhardt Maple Collection (about 400 feet away); Beauty and Utility (about 400 feet away); Colonel Montgomery's Spruce (about 400 feet away); Japanese Maples (about
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 179 times since then and 103 times this year. Last updated on April 5, 2026, by Kenneth Dardick of Storrs, Connecticut. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
