1,000 Trees Will be Given to Tampa Residents In Time For Earth Day

Free Trees Will Be Distributed On April 23rd As A Green Way To Spice Up Your Landscaping

The City of Tampa’s Tree Giveaway will be happening Saturday, April 23rd at the Sulphur Springs Pool parking lot. Tampa residents will have their choice between three different types of trees: red maple, bald cypress, or winged elm, with each tree measuring from 5 to 8 feet in length. Pickup times are from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, with the city recommending people to come prepared with a truck and some towels to haul the trees. Additionally, residents should call 811 before planting their trees in order to ensure that the ground the tree will be planted in is safe to dig up and take caution to prevent planting the tree within 30 feet of above-ground power lines. You can register to pick up a tree of your own here.

Another project that is currently being undertaken by the City is a Tampa tree canopy survey in collaboration with USF. This survey, which is done every five years, helps analyze how much of the city has tree cover and how it affects the local ecology. According to MIT research through their Treepedia project, Tampa has the most tree canopy compared to any other major world city with 36.1% of the city being covered by trees. Ultimately the trees are more than decoration for Tampa residents, as they can help prevent floods by absorbing water through their roots, promote a milder temperature by blocking the sun's rays and help water evaporate, and improve the air quality.