diff --git a/src/LineageTree/lineageTree.py b/src/LineageTree/lineageTree.py
index 9b71970..409cc6a 100644
--- a/src/LineageTree/lineageTree.py
+++ b/src/LineageTree/lineageTree.py
@@ -3349,6 +3349,25 @@ def plot_dtw_trajectory(
 
         return distance, fig
 
+    def get_subtree(self, node_list: set[int]) -> lineageTree:
+        new_successors = {
+            n: tuple(vi for vi in self.successor[n] if vi in node_list)
+            for n in node_list
+        }
+        return lineageTree(
+            successor=new_successors,
+            time=self._time,
+            pos=self.pos,
+            name=self.name,
+            root_leaf_value=[
+                (),
+            ],
+            **{
+                name: self.__dict__[name]
+                for name in self._custom_property_list
+            },
+        )
+
     def __init__(
         self,
         *,
@@ -3455,7 +3474,7 @@ def __init__(
                 "Cycles were found in the tree, there should not be any."
             )
 
-        if pos is None:
+        if pos is None or len(pos) == 0:
             self.pos = {}
         else:
             if self.nodes.difference(pos) != set():
@@ -3511,6 +3530,7 @@ def __init__(
                     "Provided times are not strictly increasing. Setting times to default."
                 )
         # custom properties
+        self._custom_property_list = []
         for name, d in kwargs.items():
             if name in self.__dict__:
                 warnings.warn(
@@ -3518,5 +3538,6 @@ def __init__(
                 )
                 continue
             setattr(self, name, d)
+            self._custom_property_list.append(name)
         if not hasattr(self, "_comparisons"):
             self._comparisons = {}
diff --git a/src/LineageTree/lineageTreeManager.py b/src/LineageTree/lineageTreeManager.py
index 0f1564d..df3014d 100644
--- a/src/LineageTree/lineageTreeManager.py
+++ b/src/LineageTree/lineageTreeManager.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import pickle as pkl
 import warnings
-from collections.abc import Callable
+from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable
 from functools import partial
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Literal
 
@@ -35,11 +35,21 @@
 class lineageTreeManager:
     norm_dict = {"max": max, "sum": sum, None: lambda x: 1}
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, lineagetree_list: Iterable[lineageTree] = ()):
+        """Creates a lineageTreeManager
+        :TODO: write the docstring
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        lineagetree_list: Iterable of lineageTree
+            List of lineage trees to be in the lineageTreeManager
+        """
         self.lineagetrees = {}
         self.lineageTree_counter = 0
         self.registered = {}
         self._comparisons = {}
+        for lT in lineagetree_list:
+            self.add(lT)
 
     def __next__(self):
         self.lineageTree_counter += 1
@@ -55,9 +65,7 @@ def __len__(self):
         """
         return len(self.lineagetrees)
 
-    def __iter__(
-        self,
-    ):
+    def __iter__(self):
         yield from self.lineagetrees.items()
 
     def __getitem__(self, key):
@@ -657,28 +665,28 @@ def plot_tree_distance_graphs(
                         matched_right.append(node_2)
                         l_node_2 = tree2.lT.get_chain_of_node(node_2)[-1]
                         matched_right.append(l_node_2)
-                        colors1[
-                            node_1
-                        ] = self.__calculate_distance_of_sub_tree(
-                            node_1,
-                            tree1.lT,
-                            node_2,
-                            tree2.lT,
-                            btrc,
-                            corres1,
-                            corres2,
-                            delta_tmp,
-                            self.norm_dict[norm],
-                            tree1.get_norm(node_1),
-                            tree2.get_norm(node_2),
+                        colors1[node_1] = (
+                            self.__calculate_distance_of_sub_tree(
+                                node_1,
+                                tree1.lT,
+                                node_2,
+                                tree2.lT,
+                                btrc,
+                                corres1,
+                                corres2,
+                                delta_tmp,
+                                self.norm_dict[norm],
+                                tree1.get_norm(node_1),
+                                tree2.get_norm(node_2),
+                            )
                         )
                         colors2[node_2] = colors1[node_1]
-                        colors1[
-                            tree1.lT.get_chain_of_node(node_1)[-1]
-                        ] = colors1[node_1]
-                        colors2[
-                            tree2.lT.get_chain_of_node(node_2)[-1]
-                        ] = colors2[node_2]
+                        colors1[tree1.lT.get_chain_of_node(node_1)[-1]] = (
+                            colors1[node_1]
+                        )
+                        colors2[tree2.lT.get_chain_of_node(node_2)[-1]] = (
+                            colors2[node_2]
+                        )
 
                         if tree1.lT.get_chain_of_node(node_1)[-1] != node_1:
                             matched_left.append(