Primary Care Tree

2026 / New York City Care Network based on Urban Forestry

Primary Care Tree

We help you find the primary care tree that is right for you.

96,950 providers30 specialties183 ZIP codes

Care intake

A care network rooted in NYC.

01Every provider is planted.

Each provider is a living tree with a documented location, species, and service area.

02Every symptom starts a search.

The network considers your symptoms, location, and provider specialties to identify a Primary Tree.

03Every act of care circulates.

The network traces connections between providers, specialties, and places throughout the city.

About Us

Find care closer to you.

Primary Care Tree is a distributed medical network where trees serve as care providers. Using NYC Open Data, we connect New Yorkers with nearby Primary Tree providers through localized care matching and ecological specialties.

Our network is coordinated by Arbocurists — care specialists who facilitate relationships between people and tree providers.

Arbocurists illustration — five people rendered as tree rings
Arbocurists (n.)/ˈar.boʊkjʊr.ɪst/

A team of care specialists facilitating relationships between people and tree providers.

See also: Lu Lyu, Yan Chen, shuang cai, Fanyi Pan, Ruichao Jiang

SPECULATIVE DESIGNINTERACTION DESIGNCREATIVE TECHDATA-DRIVEN STORYTELLING
How it works

Three steps from symptom to shade.

01

Describe what is happening

Enter a ZIP code or drop a pin. A symptom can refine the match, but location is the required starting point.

02

Match ecology to care

Species, condition pools, ratings, wait times, sidewalk access, and neighborhood location shape the ranked provider list.

03

Meet your provider tree

Review the tree's specialty, address, care philosophy, prescription, and environmental role before choosing a visit.

Patient notes

Reported relief, by provider tree.

Each note is written in the speculative language of care: symptom, matched tree, neighborhood, and the environmental prescription that helped.

Burnout + insomniaLittleleaf LindenMidwood

The linden did not cure my calendar, but twenty minutes under its small heart-shaped leaves made sleep feel possible again.

Littleleaf Linden tree canopy
Provider treeLittleleaf Linden

The linden did not cure my calendar, but twenty minutes under its small heart-shaped leaves made sleep feel possible again.

Migraine pressureGinkgoWest Village

My assigned ginkgo gave me a shaded route home and a quieter place to wait out the aura before it became the whole day.

Ginkgo biloba tree in fall
Provider treeGinkgo

My assigned ginkgo gave me a shaded route home and a quieter place to wait out the aura before it became the whole day.

Seasonal allergiesSophoraJackson Heights

The Sophora visit turned pollen into a map. I started crossing on the breezier side of the block and stopped treating sneezing as random.

Sophora tree in leaf
Provider treeSophora

The Sophora visit turned pollen into a map. I started crossing on the breezier side of the block and stopped treating sneezing as random.

Fall riskPin OakPark Slope

The Pin Oak prescribed the slowest route to the grocery store: two benches, three shaded pauses, and no pretending I was not tired.

Pin Oak tree
Provider treePin Oak

The Pin Oak prescribed the slowest route to the grocery store: two benches, three shaded pauses, and no pretending I was not tired.

Skin rashJapanese ZelkovaAstoria

The zelkova made exposure visible. Sun, dust, wind, construction grit: my skin had been keeping notes before I had words for them.

Japanese Zelkova tree
Provider treeJapanese Zelkova

The zelkova made exposure visible. Sun, dust, wind, construction grit: my skin had been keeping notes before I had words for them.

Afternoon fatigueSweetgumForest Hills

The Sweetgum care plan was simple: shade after lunch, one extra block, and paying attention to when the heat changed my energy.

Sweetgum tree
Provider treeSweetgum

The Sweetgum care plan was simple: shade after lunch, one extra block, and paying attention to when the heat changed my energy.

FAQ

Questions your insurer will not answer.

001What is a primary tree?

A primary tree is a tree that you can access easily to help guide your care, managing common and uncommon medical problems including persistent symptoms, daily wellness checks, sadness prevention, and referrals to other tree providers.

002Can I bring a saw to my appointment?

No. Saws, axes, hatchets, hostile pruning equipment, and bad faith arborist cosplay are not allowed at any provider visit. Bring water, patience, and a willingness to stand still.

003I asked a redwood for longevity advice. What did I learn?

The redwood recommended fewer urgent emails, deeper roots, more fungal friendships, and a longer view of the body. It also noted that most human problems are made worse by shallow soil.

004Can one tree intake multiple people at the same time?

Yes. Trees are group-practice specialists. One canopy can hold several appointments at once, especially for heat stress, waiting-room anxiety, post-lunch fatigue, and people who need to be quiet near one another.

005My provider tree is seasonal. Can I have more than one PCT?

Yes. You may keep a winter PCT, a summer shade provider, and a flowering-season specialist. Continuity of care is encouraged, but the system respects that leaves, symptoms, and people all change.

006Do tree providers write prescriptions?

They write environmental prescriptions: cross on the shady side, sit under the linden before sleep, take the long route past the oak, avoid the pollen corridor, return after rain.

007What if my PCT drops things during the visit?

Seed pods, leaves, flowers, and small seasonal debris are considered clinical materials. They may be interpreted as notes, reminders, or a request to look up.

Pricing

PCT does not bill insurance. The network runs on public soil, municipal records, photosynthesis, neighborly attention, and the radical affordability of standing under a living thing.

First visit$0

Covered by the existing municipal canopy.

Follow-up careRainwater

Accepted in storms, mist, and patient watering rituals.

Annual membershipOxygen exchange

Breathe in, breathe out, try not to waste the shade.

Premium network accessCompost + attention

Look closely. Notice stress. Advocate for the root zone.

Ready to check the network?

Open dashboard