This just in from the Park Board media office: Mayday, pagoda dogwood and crabapple trees want homes and a place to put down roots.
But time is running out.
The Vancouver Park Board needs planting partners to help expand the city’s tree canopy if we are going to meet our goal of 150,000 new trees by 2020. We have planted almost half the trees to meet this ambitious goal.
The Board is now selling 17 varieties of flowering, shade and conifer trees for only $10!
Vancouver residents have until midnight October 1 to buy the trees (up to a maximum of three) online at vancouver.ca/tree-sale for pick up this weekend. About 1,300 trees have already found homes, but 1,700 are still available. Fruit trees have been extremely popular and are sold out.
The trees are worth about $75 each and are not suitable for balconies or indoors.
Fall is an ideal time for tree planting. It allows them to establish a stronger root system before the hot and dry weather arrives next summer.
A well-planned tree canopy can add value, aesthetic appeal, and vitality to yards. Trees are relatively low maintenance (unlike cats and dogs), but require regular watering, especially if newly planted.
Vancouver residents who have ordered and paid for their trees online can pick them up October 1stand 2nd between 10 am and 4 pm at Hillcrest Centre. People must arrive before 2 pm on October 2ndto guarantee they get their pre-purchased tree. All unclaimed trees will be released to cash sale after 2 pm. ID and proof of Vancouver address will be required when picking up trees.
Trees not adopted will be saved for the spring sale or planted in parks or city streets.
Vancouver’s urban forest includes all trees in parks, streets and yards. It is vital for cleaning air, managing rain water, providing wildlife and bird habitat and improving health and well-being.
The city’s canopy has been in steady decline over the past two decades. Today, 18 percent of Vancouver is covered by tree canopy, a drop from 22 percent in 1995. Canopy is the amount of ground covered by tree leaves as seen from the air. Most of the decline has occurred on private lands.
The tree sale supports the Park Board’s Urban Forest and Biodiversity Strategies.