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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (RIDGELY, MD—MARCH 28, 2008 )

CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY WITH NATIVE TREES

From blooms in spring, to shade in summer, to colorful leaves in fall, trees provide beauty in the landscape. Planting a native tree like an oak or maple provides food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. Planted in the right locations around your home, trees can significantly lower heating and cooling costs. Trees also help rid the air and water of pollutants and slow stormwater runoff.

Maryland celebrates Arbor Day on Wednesday, April 2. This is a great time to plant a tree. If you have a small space, consider smaller trees like serviceberry, fringetree, dogwood or redbud. For a large spreading shade tree, try a willow oak, a red maple or the state tree, the white oak. For a beautiful evergreen tree, plant an American holly or red cedar.

For a large area, consider buying a bundle of bare root saplings from Maryland’s John S. Ayton Nursery, http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/nursery/. Most local nurseries also sell trees in containers that are easy to transplant. Adkins Arboretum will offer a wide variety of native trees in containers at its spring native plant sale on Saturday, May 10. Some nurseries sell large-size ball and burlap trees.

You can also celebrate Arbor Day by taking a walk in the woods. Some great local forests include Tuckahoe State Park, Adkins Arboretum, Blackwater Wildlife Refuge and Pickering Creek Audubon Sanctuary. If you prefer to run through the woods, Adkins Arboretum will hold its third annual Arbor Day Run on Saturday, April 12. The event features a 5K run, a one-mile family fun run, and a 100-yard dash for kids. Visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, extension 0 for information. However you spend the day, take time to admire a local tree.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, the Arboretum will build a new LEED-certified Arboretum Center and entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is a native tree prized for its display of spring blooms. Planting native trees is a great way to celebrate Arbor Day. Click here for a full-size photo.