Annual TreeFest kicks off in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The 25th annual TreeFest officially kicked off on Friday, January 20, at Independence Mall.

Tree fest began in 1997, after hurricanes Bertha and Fran destroyed trees in the area. Those who come out can grab up to five free seedlings per household.

More than 4,600 individual plants are also available.

The native trees and shrubs available include bald cypress, eastern red cedar, longleaf pine, river birch, silky dogwood, sugarberry, red hickory, eastern redbud, crabapple, chestnut oak, and live oak. There are also some native grass species including wiregrass, indiangrass, little bluestem, and big bluestem will also be available.

“Twenty-five years we’ve been giving away tree seedlings, and we see people come back year, after year,  and tell us about trees that have been growing. You know, that are twenty or thirty feet tall, or that they’ve watched –either they planted them with their children, and now their children are grown, but it’s a really special thing. So, we love seeing those people come back and tell us about the trees that they planted in their yard,” said Amy Mead, NC Cooperative Extension area natural resources agent.

TreeFest will continue tomorrow at Independence Mall in the JC Penney corridor from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or while supplies last.