Vandals Destroy Dozens of Blooming Tulips on Park Avenue Mall
The incident has left The Fund for Park Avenue and residents devastated.
| 27 Apr 2026 | 11:55
In between East 76th and East 77th streets along Park Avenue, dozens of headless tulip stems remain after a vandal or group of vandals cut off the flowering blooms. (
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The damage spanned two large flower beds and two circular planters. On one end, a few tulips remained. (
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Some of the damage was visible in one flower bed, where several tulip heads remained scattered throughout the stems. (
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Park Avenue’s iconic tulips had barely been in bloom for a week before their time was abruptly cut short. In the stretch between East 76th and East 77th streets, gorgeous red, white, and pink-blue buds were unfurling. Then, on the morning of April 20, a vandal decapitated the heads of dozens of the flowers.
The damage spanned two large beds on either side of the median, as well as in two circular pots in the middle. In the place of thriving flowers, only headless stems remain. The police have not been able to find the vandal.
The act was devastating not only for the residents but also for The Fund for Park Avenue, which oversees and maintains the time-consuming plantings every year.
“We are tremendously saddened because these tulips and all of our plantings are all done through donation,” said Amy Sheldon, the executive director of The Fund.
After witnessing the incident, Christian Ortiz, a doorman at 850 Park Ave., called the police to report it. Sheldon says The Fund is grateful for Ortiz.
“He showed what’s best in New York,” Sheldon said. “He was caring and attentive and willing to step up.”
For many, the spring tulips are a highlight of the season, and something to look forward to annually. The tulips would have had two more weeks of growth left. On an Instagram post chronicling the damage, dozens of people took to the comment section to offer their sympathies.
Fortunately, the bulbs of the plants remained unharmed and will be able to bloom again. As part of the organization’s annual Tulip Dig in mid-May, residents will be able to take home the bulbs to enjoy.
“Those tulips that were decapitated will rise again someplace else,” Sheldon said.
The organization maintains the malls between East 54th and East 86th streets, some of which still have blooming tulips on display. This year, The Fund planted over 66,000 red, white, and blue tulip bulbs in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary.
This is the first time The Fund has experienced this level of vandalism. The organization has been enhancing the Park Avenue malls with seasonal plantings since 1980.
“We’re so lucky to work in this part of Manhattan, and we want to add beauty to our neighborhood,” Sheldon said.