Tallassee property owners receive free trees

Willow oak, red maple, black gum and red buckeye trees can provide great shade and color at homes. On Saturday, hundreds of them were under the water tower in Tallassee, but not growing from the ground. Small saplings were available for the taking thanks to the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce to be planted at area resident homes. It’s all a part of an effort to maintain Tree City USA. The next thing to maintain the status is for the Tallassee City Council to approve a resolution celebrating Arbor Day.

Arbor Day is a secular holiday that took root on January 4, 1872, in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The tree planting tradition became prominent in schools across the nation by 1882, with children learning about the importance of trees as well as receiving a tree to plant in their own yard. The day is now celebrated in all 50 states. The most common date for observance is the last Friday in April, which is National Arbor Day. However, a number of state Arbor Days are at other times to coincide with the best tree planting weather. For the south, it is celebrated from January to February and in the far north, it is celebrated in May.