This little redbud tree was one of the 350 bare-root native trees we gave away last spring. It may not look like much yet, but in a few years it will be beautiful. Bare-root trees if planted and protected will thrive and over time out perform larger, root-bound trees grown in pots. (See photo of mature redbuds.)
We have 350 native trees to give away — up to 10 trees per household with a preference for residents living in the Muddy Branch or Seneca Creek watersheds. Trees will be available sometime in March or April, with the exact date determined by the weather. If you want to be informed when the trees become available, email [email protected].
Since trees are bare root, they must be planted as soon as possible after being picked up — ideally that day. Trees will also need deer protection. We generally receive 50 each of seven different tree species. These are the trees requested for this spring: 50 buttonbush, 50 baldcypress, 50 river birch, 50 loblolly pine, 50 gray dogwood, 50 serviceberry, 50 white oak. We cannot promise we’ll get the above trees as usually there are at least a few substitutions of species based on what grew best over the past year.
This year Bonnie Bell (our beaver speaker at last month’s MBA meeting) will help by distributing some of the tree seedlings from Seneca State Park for those who live closer to that location than to Merikay’s home at 14909 Spring Meadows Drive, Darnestown. Merikay attempts to give all the trees away in one or two days after she gets them to optimize their being fresh and successfully transplanted to your garden.
This is the 5th year Merikay Smith has led the native tree give away. In that time approximately 1,700 native trees have been planted through this program in our watershed area, providing habitat, cleaner water and reduced flooding. With trees given away before then and also those planted along the Muddy Branch trail, more than 2,000 native trees benefiting the Muddy Branch and Seneca Creek watersheds have been planted by people like you. Thank you!