Later this month, Arlington residents can stop by the county nursery and pick up a free, native tree to plant on their property.
On Saturday, Oct. 26 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., behind the ballfield at the corner of S. George Mason Drive and Four Mile Run Drive, residents can show up with a ticket, printed out from the county’s Eventbrite page, and go home with a “whip,” or a baby tree planted in a two-gallon container.
The county offers six different species of tree: sweet birch, white oak, black gum, black haw, pagoda dogwood and sweetbay magnolia. As of this morning (Thursday), sweet birch and sweetbay magnolia were sold out, and reservations for black haw were running out quickly.
Only one tree is allowed per residential property, according to Nora Palmatier, president of the TreeStewards of Arlington and Alexandria.
County staff will be on hand to provide guidance on maintaining the trees, as well as to help carry the containers to vehicles. Residents of multifamily properties are encouraged to contact TreeStewards for information about planting trees on their property.
Flickr pool photo by ddimick