Stay Grounded with Leon County’s Adopt-a-Tree Program
Leon County is now offering three different native trees for you to adopt and plant at your home for free through the Adopt-a-Tree program, which is available for residents of Leon County who live outside the city limits. If you live within Tallahassee City Limits, please take advantage of their program at www.Talgov.com/AdoptATree.
After signing up, Leon County Public Works will assist you with tree placement and installation between February and March 2020. In return, the County requests that homeowners water the tree three times a week for one year. The tree may be planted anywhere between a house and any publicly-maintained road or any privately maintained road with public access.
This year, the program offers three species:
- Black Tupelo- a medium sized shade tree 30-50 feet in height. Black Tupelo has a spectacular red color that is sure to catch your eye in the fall. Small, non-descript flowers are an excellent nectar source for pollinators, and small blue fruits are very attractive to songbirds and other wildlife. Black Tupelo is a versatile native tree that can tolerate sun to partial shade and is a very valuable, wind resistant tree.
- River Birch- a medium sized tree that typically grows to 40-50’ in height with either single or multiple trunks. The River Birch is known for its attractive pinkish brown bark which peels off in papery, film like curls, and its small, papery, and nondescript fruit and flowers, making this plant a unique addition to your landscape. River Birch is tolerant of full sun and partial shade and a wide variety of soil types, including areas that stay wet for a short period of time.
- Oakleaf Hydrangea- a large shrub that is tolerant of a wide variety of soils, and full sun to partial shade. Gorgeous, large snowy white blooms will grace this plant through the summer. If pruning is needed, prune immediately after bloom to ensure that the plant blooms again the following year. When not blooming, very large oak-like dark green leaves are an interesting addition to your landscape.
To fill out an application, visit www.LeonCountyFL.gov/AdoptATree or stop by the Leon County Public Works building at 2280 Miccosukee Rd. Tree inventory is limited. Sign up now!
For more information, contact Dean Richards, Leon County Public Works at (850) 606-1400 / RichardsD@LeonCountyFL.gov, or Mathieu Cavell, Leon County Community and Media Relations at (850) 606-5300 / CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov.
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