Wish trees in Portland, Oregon

The American city of Portland, Oregon has seen many wish trees (also known as wishing trees),[1] as well as variants.

Wish trees

Portland's "original" wish tree is at the intersection of Morris Street and 7th Avenue in northeast Portland.[2] The horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), sometimes called "Wishing Tree I",[3] has been used as a wish tree since 2013. Inspired by a San Francisco-based blog, Nicole Helprin and her two children attached wishes to the tree before going on a vacation.[4] The family returned to find many additional wishes had been left by others. Since November 2014, the site has offered instructions on a wooden clipboard for people to write on blank tags and tie them to the tree.[2][5] Markers and manila shipping labels are available on site. People have left wishes ranging from a pony[4] to more time to play video games to world peace.[6] Wishes in 2014 included, "I am wishing for golden threads and a year full of crepes", and "I wish for everlasting love".[2] Hundreds of wishes are often attached to the wish tree,[7] which has inspired others in the city.[2]

There is a wish tree on North Williams Avenue between Northeast Shaver and Mason Streets. According to Atlas Obscura, "People of all ages scribble out desires, both public and private, and hang the tags on the tree in hopes that some greater power will fulfill them. But the majority ... seem to do with love, wishing for new love or longevity in the love they have. All the wishes are anonymous, making it easy to write something down and walk away."[2]

Sarah Bott began hanging wishes on a birch tree at her Woodlawn Guest House on Dekum Street in northeast Portland in 2014.[1] Yoko Ono's Wish Tree visited Portland Japanese Garden in 2024.[8][9][10][11]

Variants

Portland has also seen variants of wish trees. In southwest Portland in 2020, there was a "gratitude tree" intended for giving thanks instead of making wishes.[12] A variant sometimes called "Wishing Tree II" is installed at the intersection of Northeast 20th Avenue and Fremont Street. The "tree" is actually a metal rack measuring 5 feet by 6 feet.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "A Peek into Portland's Pocket Parks (and Other Wee Wonders)". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-04-11. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Wishing Tree". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 2025-01-19. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  3. ^ a b "Need to Get the Kids Out of the House for a Few Hours? Here's a Short Map to Portland's Toy Swaps, Gnome Trees and Other Neighborhood Curiosities". Willamette Week. 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  4. ^ a b "Hopes blossom on Wishing Tree in NE Portland". kgw.com. 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  5. ^ Cook, Diane; Jenshel, Len (2017-10-17). Wise Trees. Abrams. ISBN 978-1-68335-177-1.
  6. ^ Yoe, Craig (2021). LOL Jokes: Portland. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-9843-1.
  7. ^ "Vancouver non-profit offers hope for the bereaved during holidays". KOIN.com. 2024-12-19. Archived from the original on 2024-12-30. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  8. ^ Yoko Ono's 'Wish Tree' comes to the Portland Japanese Garden. 2024-06-07. Retrieved 2025-04-22 – via www.kptv.com.
  9. ^ "Yoko Ono 'Wish Tree' coming to Portland's Japanese Garden". KOIN.com. 2024-06-03. Archived from the original on 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  10. ^ Townsley, Nancy (2024-06-05). "'Wish Tree' by Yoko Ono art installation to open at Portland Japanese Garden". PortlandTribune.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  11. ^ "Portland Japanese Garden visitors share messages of peace on Yoko Ono's Wish Tree". kgw.com. 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  12. ^ "'Gratitude Tree' rooted in thankfulness, connects neighbors". kgw.com. 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
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