Leave a Legacy with the City’s Adopt A Tree Program
November 07, 2019
As a proud Tree City USA, the City of Tallahassee is once again offering free trees to eligible homeowners within the city limits. The ever-popular Adopt A Tree program provides and helps plant native trees for homeowners to increase the community’s urban forest canopy. To apply for the program, visit Talgov.com.
Homeowners may request up to two trees be planted in the front yard within 100 feet of the centerline of the roadway (within the City limits) and must agree to keep each tree watered for one year. City staff will assist the homeowner with tree placement and take care of the installation.
The trees, depending on the species, are between 5 and 8 feet in height and are species native to the southeast. Trees available this year include:
- Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry blooms white flowers in early spring, produces sweet purplish berries in the summer (they are edible!) and puts on a fiery foliage show in the fall. It can reach 20 to 25 feet both in height and width at maturity. It is a great tree for small areas or where overhead utilities may be a conflict. It does well in spots with full to partial sun, so it makes a lovely accent for a property border or the front yard.
- Nellie R Stevens Holly is one of the most attractive of all hollies. It is a broadleaf evergreen species that bears spiny dark green leaves and round berries. It is low maintenance and can be used as a hedge tree or a privacy screen. It typically reaches a height of about 30 feet and spreads out about 15 feet at its base, resembling a Christmas tree.
- Tulip Poplar is the tallest eastern hardwood in North America – it can reach between 80 and 120 feet in height! It has tulip shaped flowers, which are pale green, yellow or white with an orange band, that bloom in midspring and provide nectar for ruby-throated hummingbirds. The leaves turn a pale yellow in the fall. It prefers deep, rich and rather moist soil but not wet soils. It prefers full sun and can grow very quickly (more than 24 inches per year).
Details on each tree species are included on the website, and tree planting will begin mid-January. Trees are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Tallahassee is known for its trees and iconic canopy roads. At 55 percent, the City boasts one of the highest percentages of tree coverage in the nation. Additionally, the species of trees found in the area are the most diverse in the nation, according to biodiversity maps.
Last year, the Tallahassee City Commission approved an Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) to guide proactive urban forest management and to balance the needs for storm hardening, infrastructure and growth over the next 20 years. The Adopt A Tree program, which plants around 300 trees each year, is one of the programs that helps ensure the health of Tallahassee’s tree canopy.
To adopt a tree from the City, simply visit Talgov.com and complete the online application. Questions can be emailed to AdoptaTree@Talgov.com or answered by calling 850-891-5300.
Contact Information
Alison Faris, Communications Department, 850-891-8533