WILMINGTON — Over the last eight years, the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees has given roughly 12,000 free trees to residents.
It will continue its outreach on April 1, 9 a.m., when it hosts another giveaway at Texas Roadhouse, 230 Eastwood Rd. The alliance, in partnership with Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery program, is unloading 800 trees until noon — or until they run out.
“This partnership [with Arbor Day] alone has already delivered nearly 9,000 trees to Cape Fear area residents through previous community tree giveaways,” Connie Parker, president of the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees, said in a press release.
Offerings include numerous species — Armstrong Red Maple, Brandywine Red Maple, October Glory Red Maple, Northern Red Oak, Nuttall Oak, Swamp White Oak, White Oak, Willow Oak, Muskogee (lavender) Crepe Myrtle, and more — available in 3- and 5-gallon containers. The freebies are limited to two each person.
Information on how to care for trees, including soil preference is available here. However, there will be arborists available to answer questions about proper planting techniques.
The alliance’s goal is to replace trees damaged or destroyed by weather and storms.
“The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of green space and trees to our daily lives,” Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation, said in a press release. “By replacing trees damaged or lost by previous storms, we can help to ensure that Wilmington will continue to enjoy the benefits of a healthy canopy, from cleaning our air and water, to mitigating flooding and bolstering our mental health.”
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