Cary residents can get a free dogwood, magnolia, elm, beautyberry tree. Here’s how.
For all you nature lovers and green thumbs in Cary, there is an opportunity this March to get a free native tree for your yard.
The My Tree, Our Tree program aims to help improve the environmental health of the community and decorate yards in the town.
On March 18, the town will give more than 500 trees away as part of Cary’s Arbor Day celebration, which recognizes the town’s commitment to planting trees and managing its urban forests.
The trees available are the American Elm, Little Gem Magnolia, American Dogwood, and Beautyberry.
Registration is limited for Cary residents and will open at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at myCary.org.
How to register
First, be sure you have an active myCary account. The website is used to register or sign-up for events in the town.
Find the program by searching My Tree, Our Tree: Spring Giveaway Campaign. Only one tree will be provided per household.
The number of available trees of each species is limited so consider a few options that fit your yard. Each tree stands 4-feet to 8-feet tall and should fit in most cars.
Once the tree is selected, it will only stay in your online cart for 30 minutes. Registration must be completed within that time.
You will know registration is complete when you get a confirmation email that will include a payment receipt for $0.00 and a confirmation number.
Email recreation.support@townofcary.org for questions about registration.
How to pick up your tree
The tree pick-up is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 18 in the lower level of the Cary Parking Deck at 121 Wilkinson Ave. The pick-up is a contact-less drive-thru. To prepare, ensure your car can fit the tree in the back seat.
There will be a one-way traffic pattern that will require you to
Enter the lowest level of the parking deck through the Herbert C. Young Community Center parking lot
Stay in your car
Check-in and be directed to the pick-up station to get your planting kit and your tree loaded into your car
Exit the deck one level up onto Wilkinson Avenue or park
About the trees
Materials will be provided to participants in addition to the free tree including a tree guard, gift certificates for a free bag of topsoil and mulch, a rain gauge, and a tree planting manual.
American Elm
Scientifically known as the Ulmus americana, American Elm trees once lined the streets of the country’s major cities but have mostly died off due to a fungus called Dutch elm disease. However, the program gives Cary residents an opportunity to bring them back to the town.
Native of the Chicago area, the Elm tree is large and vase-shaped and can grow up to 60-feet tall. The tree can fit in smaller yards and is suitable for those with tighter spaces or close neighbors.
Little Gem Magnolia
A smaller variation of the native southern magnolia tree, the Little Gem grows to about 20-feet tall. The tree has large, glossy, green leaves with furry, brown undersides and by late spring, is covered with white flowers which turn into brown cones with red berries.
Also called the Magnolia grandiflora, this tree thrives in the sun and needs lots of soil and mulch.
American Dogwood
The Dogwood is one of the state’s most famous trees, and its white blooms in the spring are the official flower of North Carolina. The flower is also on Cary’s town seal.
The dogwood, also known as the Cornus florida, does best in light shade to part sun. It requires good soil and lots of care in the first year.
Beautyberry
The Beautyberry is not really a tree, the town acknowledges, however it is a native shrub known for its berries.
Known scientifically as the Callicarpa americana, the beautyberry shrub can grow up to 6-feet tall and wide with arching stems of white flowers in the spring. The beautyberry should be planted in full sun to get the most berries, but it will also grow in part shade.
As part of the campaign, the town is asking participants to post a picture of their trees with the hashtag #MyTreeOurTree.
Find more information about the trees at carync.gov.
