10 March . 2025
Central Park offers a tree-filled retreat for residents of The Grove Frisco
One of the shadiest parks at The Grove Frisco, Central Park is a 2.4-acre oasis of natural beauty, with amenities including trails, swings and a playground tucked carefully into a grove of mature trees including American Elms, Eastern Red Cedars and American Persimmons.
Large stands of mature trees are a relative rarity in Frisco, and The Grove Frisco is distinguished by the number of native trees within our 735-acre master-planned community. In fact, they are what inspired our name.
The uniqueness of the Central Park site was recognized in the earliest planning stages of The Grove Frisco, which opened in 2018.
“I remember standing at Orchard House and seeing the tree line of the Central Park site in the not-so-far distance. It was a very impressive sight,” said Paul Cozzolino, principal of Green Door Studio, a landscape architecture firm working with The Grove Frisco.
“Our goal for Central Park was to build a park into the forest and invite residents in, with the lightest touch possible. We preserved many large trees and added new trees, grasses and wildflowers that are mostly native to the area, to speak back to the heritage of the land,” he said.
On nice days throughout the year, you can see residents of all ages enjoying Central Park.
“It’s an all-season park. The foliage line sits high, allowing breezes to come through. On a hot day, you can walk through the park and feel 10 degrees cooler. On winter days, you can sit in one of the open areas and feel the warm sunshine,” Cozzolino said.
Plantings also offer year-round interest. Perennials like Black Eyed Susan and Bluemist Flower provide spring color, while shrubs and small trees such as Possumhaw and Royal Purple Smoke Tree steal the show in fall and winter. Adam’s Needle Yucca stands out in summer, and Texas Bluegrass dazzles all year with changing color and silky white seed heads.
Central Park was intentionally designed to provide a series of social spaces centered around the trees, with forest walkways created to invite residents into heavily wooded and planted areas, where they can get up close and personal with nature.
“Most parks want to keep you on the pavement; they rarely invite you in. At Central Park, we want to encourage residents to venture into the trees and plant beds with the forest walkways, to make them feel like they’re really in the woods,” Cozzolino said.
Resembling balancing beams, the walkways are made of wood that will naturally weather, so they will blend into the environment.
Central Park’s playground structures are from Earthscape, an award-winning Canadian company known for creating playgrounds that become beloved community gathering spaces. The structures are crafted from Robinia, a hardwood prized for its beauty and durability.
Central Park also includes a wishing well, one of two you’ll find at The Grove Frisco, along with a shade pavilion, grills, swings, and benches all along the trails.
Read more about parks, trails and other amenities at The Grove Frisco.