Flowering Forest

A Living Tree Tribute to John Lewis

Interactive Map  |  Looking Back 2021-2026   |   Partners and Sponsors

The Flowering Forest is a spectacular tree tribute to John Lewis. With the help of hundreds of volunteers over a period of six years, thousands of flowering trees, shrubs, and daffodils were planted along 1.5 miles of the John Lewis Freedom Parkway. The parkway winds through Freedom Park connecting John Lewis Plaza (near the memorial sculpture dedicated to John Lewis, “The Bridge” by Thornton Dial) to The King Center by way of The Carter Center.

The first 300 flowering trees were planted in Freedom Park in 2021 on the weekend of John Lewis’s birthday. From 2021 to 2026, community tree planting projects in the Flowering Forest drew hundreds of volunteers who honored the late civil rights leader through service for the “beloved community.” The planting and care of the Flowering Forest allow us to celebrate John Lewis and serve the community with the benefits of trees. See photos from annual planting projects.

John Lewis’s favorite tree was said to be the southern magnolia. This guided the design of the tree tribute to focus on blooming native trees. Near John Lewis Plaza, species of native magnolias planted in this area begin to bloom in late winter in a timely celebration of Lewis’s birthday.  Winding through Freedom Park, more than 90 native species and cultivars of blooming trees pop with color through spring, including dogwood, fringe tree, buckeye, azalea, and more. Over 1,500 flowering trees, and hundreds of other blooming plants and shrubs, are planted in the Flowering Forest.  An interactive map of the Flowering Forest shows the location, species, and year planted for each tree.

A very special specimen tree is part of the Flowering Forest: a cultivar officially named Magnolia grandiflora ‘Good Trouble’. This tree has a rich Atlanta history, too. It was grown from a branch cut from one of the two historic trees standing in the outfield where Atlanta’s first Black baseball team played. In 2013, new growth branches were harvested from these trees and grown into trees. These trees are now known by their cultivar names: southern magnolia ‘Good Trouble’ and southern magnolia ‘Spiller Field‘. Another ‘Good Trouble’ specimen is planted in the southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Vine City near the John Lewis statue in Cook Park.

As the mjor planting effort to establish the Flowering Forest completes in 2026, the process of long-term care and maintenance of these trees has already begun. We invite you to continue to be a part helping to grow the Flowering Forest.

Bring the Flowering Forest Home

Trees Atlanta will be distributing flowering trees of species selected from those found in the Flowering Forest. Tree giveaways are planned for John Lewis’ birthday month. February is also when Georgia Arbor Day is observed in our growing region.

At the April 11, 2026 volunteer project in the Flowering Forest, 100 flowering trees will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

If you miss this giveaway, we’ll be distributing more tree giveaways! Stay informed by signing up for our email newsletter for information on upcoming volunteer, education, and community events.

Flowering Forest Interactive Map

How to Use This Map

• Click and drag to navigate the map. Zoom in or out.
• Select any dot to view more information about each tree, including: genus, species, planted date, and planted size.
• Each color of dot represents the year the tree was planted from 2021 to 2026. Click the icon in the top right corner to view the legend of years.
• A star shows the location of a very special tree — the Magnolia grandiflora ‘Good Trouble’ — a southern magnolia with a historic lineage and an officially named cultivar ‘Good Trouble’.

Trees Atlanta tracks every plant in the John Lewis Flowering Forest through ArcGIS, allowing us to maintain a detailed record for each individual specimen that includes genus, species, planting date, and size at installation. Each point on the map represents a single tree or shrub, with colors indicating the planting season in which it was installed, spanning from 2021 to 2026.

Looking Back on 2021 – 2026

View more photos from past years: Year 1 Kickoff, Year 2 projects, Year 4 projects, and Year 5 projects.

Commitment to Stay in Good Trouble

At the launch of the Flowering Forest, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ Head of Programs & Exhibitions (2021), Dr. Calinda Lee explained, “Congressman Lewis sowed seeds of hope and equity. His life’s work was an undaunted fight for civil and human rights — without prejudice or exception. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is honored to join this partnership to celebrate John L. Lewis’s legacy and to serve as a tangible reminder of the beauty that can grow from a commitment to stay in good trouble. We look forward to sharing the Congressman’s story to inspire the changemaker in each of us.”

Harriett Lane, Freedom Park Conservancy Chair (2021) acknowledges “Freedom Park has an important legacy in the areas of art, activism and nature, and this tree installation will honor John Lewis and allow us to reinforce his legacy for future generations. Today John Lewis Plaza within Freedom Park is anchored by the The Bridge, a work of sculptor Thornton Dial, which represents Congressman Lewis’ lifelong quest for the advancement of civil and human rights.”

“This February’s planting will create a natural annual blooming event that celebrates a great man who represented Atlanta for nearly four decades. Our tree tribute will continue growing for generations to honor his impact on social justice.”

Greg Levine, Co-Executive Director of Trees Atlanta

Warm support of the tree tribute to John Lewis from local corporate sponsors and elected officials helped to start and complete this landmark project. The Flowering Forest is a living remembrance that will grow and bloom in colorful celebration for many generations to come.

Video Credit [L-R]: Row 1: Video courtesy of Arbor Day Foundation.; Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shares this message of support for the Flowering Forest. Credit: City of Atlanta; Message of support from Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock. Row 2: Message of support from Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff; Message of Support from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. Thank you to these Georgia leaders who sent their encouragement and support for the 2021 kickoff event.

John Robert Lewis (Feb. 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American statesman and civil rights leader who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. In 2018, a group of friends and leaders had the name of a major boulevard in Atlanta, Freedom Parkway, changed to honor Congressman Lewis. This boulevard is now called the John Lewis Freedom Parkway. 

Partners

The Flowering Forest is an ongoing Trees Atlanta collaboration with the Freedom Park Conservancy, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation.

About Trees Atlanta:  Trees Atlanta is a nonprofit community group that protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating. Since its founding in 1985, Trees Atlanta has planted over 140,000 trees throughout metro Atlanta with volunteers and partners to ensure environmental, social, and economic benefits of trees are available and abundant for the health and well-being of all communities. Trees Atlanta plants over 7,000 trees every year, including helping to design, install, and maintain the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum; educates youth and adults through classroom lessons and hand-on training; and improves forested land by removing invasive species and restoring the native plant ecology of the area. Trees Atlanta is a trusted leader in organizing and demonstrating stewardship of our urban tree canopy. To volunteer and to learn more about the organization, please visit: treesatlanta.org.  

About Freedom Park Conservancy: Freedom Park Conservancy is working to adopt a new master plan for the approximately 200-acre Freedom Park by Spring 2021. Learn more about us at www.freedompark.org. Freedom Park Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the improvement and preservation of the park for the benefit of a diverse public. Born out of formidable citizen activism linking the movements of environmentalism, urbanism, historic preservationism and more, Freedom Park is now one of Atlanta’s largest public green spaces. Our vision is for Freedom Park to be Atlanta’s most innovative green space, celebrated for its inspiring origin and beauty. 

About The National Center for Civil and Human Rights: The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta is a cultural institution that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to the struggle for human rights around the world today. The Center features a continuously rotating exhibit from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes many of Dr. King’s documents and personal items. Visitors will be immersed in experiential exhibits through powerful and authentic stories, historic documents, compelling artifacts, and interactive activities. The Center is a source for ongoing dialogue — hosting educational forums and attracting world-renowned speakers and artists who work on a variety of human rights topics. For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights: facebook.com/ctr4chr/ | instagram.com/ctr4chr/ | twitter.com/Ctr4CHR

Sponsors

Generous financial support and employee volunteer service from these corporate sponsors, along with tree planting gifts from Trees Atlanta funders, has made this project possible.