Nine hawthorn grove at Imperial No. 9

The Imperial No. 9 restaurant at 9 Crosby Street that has received better ratings for its decor, including the hawthorn grove that fronts the street, than its food.

Several dictionaries define a grove as a group of trees growing in the absence of understory vegetation.  I always thought that a grove is a seemingly random or at least a circular arrangement of trees but the nine hawthorn grove at Imperial No. 9 is arranged in three rows of three.  The grove is mulched with small stones and is separated from the sidewalk by a vine-filled metal trellis.

A grove can also be a small fruit tree orchard and orchards are typically planted in rows.  Web searches did not reveal details about the restaurant's landscape intention.