Remember that palm tree that stood here for nearly a century? That’s the story of Segunda Glorieta de Frambuesas. It connects Paseo de la Reforma with Río Rhin Street and Niza Street.
Segunda Glorieta de Frambuesas is unique. It’s the only roundabout on Reforma that never held a monument. The Mexican Stock Exchange building stands here across from the Zona Rosa.
The roundabout appeared in Louis Bolland and Ferdinand von Rosenzweig’s plan. It was completed in 1865. This made it Reforma’s second finished roundabout.
The Angel of Independence column was built in 1910. It marked the centennial of Independence. Some say this glorieta might have been for another memorial in 2010.
Ten palm trees once graced this spot. The earliest photo of the central tree dates back to 1920. Around 1950 all but the central palm were removed.
Carlos Martínez Assad questioned the palm’s age. He thought it was 70 or 80 years old. He said Haile Selassie of Ethiopia gifted it to Lázaro Cárdenas. This was for Cárdenas’ stance against Italy’s occupation. The roundabout was first meant for a Benito Juárez sculpture. It went to Guanajuato instead.
The palm died in 2022 from pathogens and fungi. The city held a farewell ceremony on April 24. That night it was cut down. The wood went to Xochimilco for artists to make sculptures. The palm stood 20 meters tall.
Claudia Sheinbaum’s government asked people what tree to plant next. Options included a jacaranda or a Montezuma cypress. Palms were too prone to disease. People voted for a Montezuma cypress also known as an ahuehuete.
Sheinbaum said the planting would occur on June 5 2022. This was World Environment Day. The tree came from Monterrey Nuevo León. It was 10 meters tall and 20 years old.
Two days later a car crashed into the glorieta. It cut a support wire and tipped the tree. The tree looked dry for weeks. By July it showed improvement. In September 2022 the city walled off the glorieta. This protected the slow recovery. Another car hit the safety fence the next month.
Saúl Alcántara said the tree’s recovery was unlikely. He blamed incorrect replanting not just the accidents.
The city announced on March 9 that the tree would be replaced. It would be the same species and from the same nursery. Two days later the tree was removed. It went to Xochimilco for rehabilitation.
On May 19 2023 the city planted a new tree. It was 20 years old and about 12 meters tall. Three days later a man poured cement on the roots. He also removed the irrigation system. He was arrested for property and environmental damage.
On May 8 2022 groups searching for missing people intervened. They renamed it Glorieta de las y los Desaparecidos. They put up photos of the missing. Authorities removed them soon after. The groups said they didn’t oppose the ahuehuete. They thought both could coexist.
Activists reinstalled the photos when the cypress was planted. They called the tree El guardián de los desaparecidos. They wanted the roundabout officially renamed. Government officials preferred using the Estela de Luz for a memorial.
On July 24 2022 human rights groups changed metro bus station names. Hamburgo became Glorieta de las y los Desaparecidos. Colón became Glorieta de las Mujeres Que Luchan. Paseo de la Reforma became the Ruta de la Memoria.
In February 2023 the city announced 20 volcanic rock obelisks. They would have poems carved on them. Groups searching for the missing criticized the project. They said it was one-sided. They threatened to create their own memorial.