When is the best time to plant trees in the Wilmington area?
The adage “The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago; the second-best time to plant a tree is now” may be difficult to attribute to a particular source, but whether is it an old Chinese proverb or from a twentieth century politician, the point rings true in terms of years.
Wintertime is also the best season to plant trees here in the Cape Fear region, allowing time for them to establish strong roots before hot summer weather arrives. Residents have an opportunity to score some free trees with the 25th annual TreeFest to be held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (or while supplies last) Friday, Jan. 20 and Saturday, Jan. 21, at the JCPenney corridor inside Independence Mall.
When I visit my daughter’s home and see how the TreeFest Sweetgum has grown from a 15-inch seedling to a sturdy young tree over 7 feet tall in just three years, I am encouraged to add to the over 100,000 trees that have been shared through the previous TreeFest giveaways. Households may choose up to five free trees or grasses from the available selection, and a $5 donation per household is suggested.
More:N.C. Cooperative Extension has served New Hanover County well in 2022, with more to come
All trees and grasses are available on a first come, first-serve basis. Tree species include longleaf pine, red cedar, river birch, silky dogwood, sugarberry, red hickory, eastern redbud, crabapple, chestnut oak, and live oak. Wiregrass, Indian grass, little bluestem grass and big bluestem grass plugs will also be available. Trees are bare root and should be planted as soon as possible with roots kept moist; the grass plugs can be planted in ground or in a container to grow through spring.
More than 5,000 individual plants will be available during this year’s give-away, with an equal amount distributed each day. Experts will be available at TreeFest to help with plant selection and provide information for their care. Before selecting trees, you should consider the size of the site, whether utility lines exist above and below ground, proximity to buildings, and site conditions like soil type, drainage and sun exposure. Do some homework and research the tree types to determine your wish list. Some great informational resources from NC State University are available at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/.
The NC Forest Service Nursery in Goldsboro grew the plants for this event. One of the oak species would be a great way to support wildlife if you have plenty of space for a large tree. The silky dogwood is a large shrub well suited to moist areas, as are river birch trees. Longleaf pine probably used to grow where your house is now, so would likely thrive in the native soils if you are looking for a very tall tree. Arrive early for the best selection of varieties available, and plan to get the trees in the ground that weekend to get your trees off to a great start.
I have enjoyed working with volunteer members on a planning committee with many organizations represented for several years now. Our own NC Cooperative Extension – New Hanover County Center and Arboretum, the New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District, the City of Wilmington, Friends of Wilmington Skateparks, Independence Mall, NC Forest Service, and UNCW’s Environmental Sciences and Biology and Marine Biology departments make TreeFest possible with the generous donations from its patrons and event day volunteers. We look forward to seeing you and helping you add to our region’s healthy tree canopy. I can only imagine the size, strength and ecosystem services provided by a tree from the original TreeFest 25 years ago! The best time to plant a tree…. If you didn’t get a tree planted 25 years ago, then visit TreeFest and get one planted now! Oh, and please bring your own plastic bags or bucket to help us cut down on disposable plastic waste.
Lloyd Singleton is the director for N.C .Cooperative Extension – New Hanover County Center and Arboretum. He can be reached at lsingleton@nhcgov.com or 910-798-7660. The arboretum grounds are free and open daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Annual Wilmington TreeFest to be held at Independence Mall
