Representatives of Keep Katy Beautiful and from the City of Katy gathered outside the Fellowship Hall of Katy’s First United Methodist Church on April 2 to designate an outstanding local landmark as a “legacy tree.” The iconic tree is also featured on one of the murals at Katy’s historic downtown square.

The American sycamore, which towers over the multi-story church property at Avenue B and Fifth Street at an estimated height of 40 feet, is thought to be more than 100 years old. It is believed to have been planted by founding members of the Katy community, according to Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris.

The dedication was read by KBB member Lynn Paulsen and accepted by the church’s senior pastor, Mark Kimbrough at the ceremony.

Keep Katy Beautiful has designated 16 other trees or groups of trees in the Katy area as legacy trees, including cottonwoods, various kinds of oaks, magnolias, green ash and loblolly pine. The newest designee is the only American sycamore in the group. The recognition of Katy’s iconic, historic and outstanding trees is based on age, size, species, quality, historic association and/or landmark importance, according to the KBB website. For a map and a complete list of legacy tree locations, go to www.keepkatybeautiful.com/program/legacy-tree.

The Keep Katy Beautiful Board, created in 1993 by then-Mayor Skip Conner, is an affiliate of both Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful, and seeks to promote a clean, litter free community while educating citizens about recycling, landscaping, tree planting and maintenance, according to the City of Katy website.

On June 16, 2022, the Arbor Day Foundation named Katy a 2021 Tree City USA in honoring the city’s commitment to effective urban forest management, according to previous reporting in the Katy Times.