Come get your free tree Thursday!
Get ready to get your free tree at the annual Louisiana Forestry Association Arbor Day Tree Giveaway on Thursday, Jan. 16 ... that's right it's on Thursday this year.
The annual event held in conjunction with Arbor Day held during the third week of January for Louisiana will have available American Elm, Black Oak, Water Oak and Silky Dogwood trees from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 in the drive-through parking lot at the Louisiana Forestry Association office, 2316 South McArthur Drive.
“A good way to look at planting hope for the future in the New Year is planting a tree,” said. C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen, executive director of the Louisiana Forestry Association. “And this is the best time of year to plant trees in Louisiana. That’s why we celebrate Arbor Day each January.”
More than 15 million acres of forests are spread across Louisiana, about half of the state. Products from the forest account for about $11 billion to the state’s economy each year — it’s Louisiana’s No. 1 crop! And just like field crops, trees are replanted after being harvested, about 73 million seedlings throughout the state. That’s roughly 19 trees for every person living in Louisiana.
The drive-through tree giveaway is limited to the supply of 1,000 trees, provided by ArborGen SuperTree Nursery. So, once they’re gone, they’re gone.
The American Elm is fast-growing and hardy and grows to about 70-100 feet. Its early budding makes for early spring color. The Silky Dogwood has pale blue berries that birds love in late summer. It’s a small tree-like shrub that grows up to 12 feet and has a rounded appearance. It is tolerant to dry conditions but prefers moist, well-drained soil. The Black Oak can grow up to 90 feet, but is slow-growing. Its acorns are good for most wildlife and offers great shade for large areas. The Water Oak also can grow up to 90 feet and is a great tree choice for shade. Its acorns also are good for most wildlife.
Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1872 and is celebrated nationwide as an annual tree-planting day to foster the ideals of conservation so that our forests will always be plentiful.
The Louisiana Forestry Association has offered Arbor Day seedlings for the public since 2004 as a way of celebrating Arbor Day, the third Friday in January in Louisiana, and promoting the benefits of trees.
The Louisiana Forestry Association is a group of more than 4,000 members that includes forest landowners, foresters, loggers and others employed in the forest products industry. LFA’s mission is to further the practice of sustainable forestry.
