Leesburg Will Give Away Trees for Arbor Day

The City of Leesburg will give away 125 trees next week to recognize Arbor Day and mark the city’s 23^rd year as a member of the Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA program. The giveaway will be held at the Venetian Center, 1 Dozier Court, on Thursday, April 24^th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm or until all trees are gone.

The trees will be distributed in a drive-thru system and cannot be reserved. There is a limit of one tree per vehicle.

Two types of Crape Myrtle trees in one-gallon pots will be available on a first come first served basis. The Natchez will produce pure white flowers and the Tuscarora will produce watermelon-colored flowers. Both varieties grow three to four feet per year and can reach heights of 20 feet or more.

Crape Myrtles are an attractive landscaping tree with a beautiful exfoliating bark and striking flower colors that do best in full sun. They are recommended for planting in urban and suburban areas due their good drought-tolerance, beautiful flowers and relatively low maintenance needs.

As a proud member of both the Tree City USA and America in Bloom programs, Leesburg is dedicated to projects that promote urban forestry, tree preservation, beautification of public areas and environmental sustainability as important components of our quality of life. This year’s tree giveaway event was coordinated with the city’s Beautification Advisory Board and the Public Works Department and will help ensure that Leesburg continues to meet the standards to maintain Tree City USA certification.

For more information, please call the Public Works Department at 352-435-9442.