Arbor Day 2021 is slated for Friday, March 5, 2021, with the annual tree giveaway at Centennial Park at 9 a.m., beginning with Mayor James Mayberry’s Arbor Day proclamation. Crossville Tree Board members, along with volunteers from Cumberland County Master Gardeners and Wyndham Resort, will be on hand to distribute approximately 3500 seedlings from 17 different species along with tree-planting tips.

The giveaway will be in the Turner Field parking lot, and you are encouraged to arrive early. Seedlings are given out on a first come, first served basis and are usually gone within an hour.

As part of Crossville Tree Board’s ongoing efforts to serve and educate the community about the importance of and proper care for trees in this region, a special Arbor Day survey has been prepared. This is a community-wide survey and will help the Crossville Tree Board by identifying concerns and species that are most popular and successful in this area. Surveys will be available at the giveaway to complete and turn in there.

As a special incentive, Crossville Tree Board is teaming up with Payne Nursery to offer a $200 gift certificate. All those who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for the gift certificate. Completed surveys can be dropped off at the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway or mailed to City of Crossville, ATTN Malena Fisher, 392 N. Main St. Crossville TN 38555. They can also be emailed to [email protected]. The deadline for all surveys to be returned is March 19, 2021, and a winner will be chosen on April 12. Surveys can be found on the city’s website at www.crossvilletn.gov

Species offered at this year’s giveaway will be:

• Baldcypress

• Buttonbush

• Elderberry

• Shagbark Hickory

• Indigobush

• Chestnut Oak

• Northern Red Oak

• Pin Oak

• Shumard Oak

• Willow Oak

• Native Sweet Pecan

• Persimmon

• Red Mulberry

• Shortleaf Pine

• Sweetgum

• Sycamore

• Yellow Poplar

The Crossville Tree Board encourages everyone to follow CDC COVID-19 safety guidelines for the giveaway. Trees are an excellent means of adding beauty to a home’s landscape, with colorful Spring blossoms and Fall leaves, as well as providing shade, which can lower utility bills, and provide food and shelter for wildlife.