Free Tree Seedlings In Maplewood For 2018 (Where, When)

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — There are 90,000 free tree seedlings up for grabs this spring as part of the annual New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign. Will you be among those who put their green thumbs to the test?

On Saturday, April 28, residents in the Maplewood area can pick up their own seedlings outside Town Hall from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

According to a Maplewood DPW social media post, the 2018 event will include 2,000 free seedlings of the following varieties: Black Oak, Black Walnut, Chestnut Oak, Cornelian Cherry, Eastern White Pine, Flowering Dogwood, Kousa Dogwood, Mockenut Hickory, Northern Red Oak, Norway Spruce, Persimmon, Swamp White Oak, Sycamore, Tulip Poplar.

The free seedlings are being made available as part of a partnership between the New Jersey Forest Service, the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery, New Jersey Soil Conservation Districts, Sustainable Jersey, Arbor Day Foundation, Brothers International, BJ's Wholesale Club, Wyndham Vacation Resorts and FedEx.

As part of the program, registered municipalities receive up to 2,000 seedlings each for distribution to residents. Proof of residency in the community where seedlings are distributed is not required, according to the DEP.

New Jersey Forest Service Chief Todd Wyckoff said that each municipality gets trees that “grow well” in their particular region.

“Municipalities in the northern part of the state may receive sugar maple or black oak trees, while towns in the south may receive Atlantic white cedar or other species adapted to this region,” Wyckoff said. “Seedlings distributed to shore towns may include bayberry or beach plum, shrubs commonly found on dunes and in other coastal environments.”

For a list of distribution locations in New Jersey in 2018, click here.

For more information on the 2018 program, visit www.forestnursery.org or call (732) 928-0029.

"Trees provide habitat for wildlife, clean the air we breathe, provide shade, reduce the damaging effects of wind, limit erosion and contribute to a healthier environment," said DEP Acting Commissioner Catherine McCabe. "Equally important, trees beautify our communities and improve our quality of life in the Garden State."

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Maplewood Facebook page here. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

File Photo (not one of the tree seedlings in above article): Shutterstock