Lakewood Tree Giveaway Program Offers Residents Free Trees For Private Yard Plantings

Lakewood Tree Giveaway Program Offers Residents Free Trees for Private Yard Plantings

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Calling Lakewood residents: We need your help in growing our city’s tree canopy coverage by 10 percent in the next 11 years. 

The City of Lakewood and its Tree Advisory and Education Board, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation Community Canopy Program, seek to partner with YOU on an exciting Tree Giveaway Program whereby residents are eligible to receive a beautiful, native tree for planting at home free-of-charge. Following Lakewood’s successful spring event, an additional 100 trees will be given away this fall.

Online ordering will go live at 9 AM on Tuesday, September 10. In less than 10 minutes, you can reserve your free tree (limit one per resident) by visiting www.arborday.org/lakewoodoh and selecting a shade or ornamental species that fits your yard. Each tree has been grown in 3 gallon-sized containers with heights of 4 to 5 feet, a size which allows for easy transport and planting while still making an immediate impact in your landscape. 

Native species available this fall through the Lakewood Tree Giveaway Program include: 

• Allegheny Serviceberry – A moderately-fast-growing ornamental tree that possesses fragrant white flowers in the spring, edible blueberry-like fruit in the summer, and brilliant fall color. 

• American Hornbeam – A slower-growing woodland understory tree, also known as Musclewood, featuring unique “muscle like” smooth gray bark. In shade it will grow with an open irregular spread but will be compact and almost pyramidal in full sun. Songbirds will utilize the seeds from this tree.

• Common Hackberry – A fast-growing and adaptable canopy tree, suitable for both naturalized areas and street tree plants alike. Features a warty smooth gray bark and “elm like” leaves. The drupe is edible, imparting a fig flavor. 

• Eastern Redbud – A fast-growing ornamental tree with pink flowers in the spring and large, heart-shaped leaves that change to golden yellow in the fall

• Pagoda Dogwood – A beautiful and moderately-fast-growing ornamental tree. Flowers are showy in the spring followed by blue fruit favored by songbirds, brilliant fall color and finally unique pagoda branching during the winter. A wonderful understory tree for the landscape.

• Pin Oak – A relatively fast-growing canopy tree. It will tolerate poorly drained soils but leaves will yellow in high pH soils. Lower leafless branches will often persist on this oak. Pin oak is a great tree for wet areas. 

A Tree Giveaway Pickup event will be held on Saturday, October 19, from 10 am until noon at Bernice Pyke Park (1320 Belle Avenue in Downtown Lakewood), during which tree planting demonstrations will take place.

Trees are a vital part of our community, improving our quality of life in many ways. Trees clean our air and water, cool our environment, reduce flooding, lower energy costs, increase property values, and provide habitats for nature. Lakewood’s legacy as a longtime ‘Tree City USA’ serves as a source of community pride, but we need your help to replenish our aging tree canopy.

The Lakewood Tree Giveaway Program takes place this fall while supplies last. All orders are subject to approval and must be at a Lakewood, Ohio address. Thank you for helping to grow our city’s tree canopy!