Tree Giveaway

Overview

Lincoln neighborhoods and communities across the U.S. are experiencing a mass tree decline with the removal of ash trees due to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department analyzed available data and found there are large low to moderate income residential areas in Northeast and Northwest Lincoln that have been hit hard by EAB. The focus of this event is getting trees into the hands of owner-occupied homes where households may not have the disposable income to purchase a private tree.

To help get trees planted in these high need neighborhoods, Lincoln Parks and Recreation has selected Pioneers Park Nature Center as the site of the 2024 Tree Distribution on Saturday, September 28 starting at 1pm. Trees will be available for pick up by going to the tree event booth located on the west side of the Prairie Building.

Trees have been selected because of their suitability to the local climate and information on selecting, planting and maintaining your tree will be available. 

Read through the following pages for information about available trees, the give-away event, and planting and caring for your tree. 

Available Trees

The trees available for the giveaway are locally grown and well suited for the Eastern Nebraska climate.

PRINCETON AMERICAN ELM

Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’

• Flower: Fuzzy Samaras
• Height: 50-70’
• Width: 50’
• Sun: 8-12 Hours
• Soil: Moist
• Growth Rate: Fast

The Princeton American Elm is a medium to large deciduous tree with a vase-shaped crown. It is a Midwest native tree that exhibits good resistance to Dutch elm disease and elm beetles. The six-inch long leaves are dark green until they fade to yellow in the fall. These trees produce flowers that give way to single-seeded wafer-like samaras. Native to the Midwest, it typically can be found in low moist grounds along streams but can adapt to both wet and dry sites.

AUTUMN - Leaves turn bright yellow

SWAMP WHITE OAK

Quercus bicolor

• Flower: Fringed Acorns
• Height: 50-60’
• Width: 60’
• Sun: 8-12 Hours
• Soil: Moist
• Growth Rate: Moderate

Found natively around streams, lakes, and valleys, the Swamp White Oak is a medium sized deciduous tree with a broad rounded crown. It typically grows at a moderate pace, reaching heights of 50-60 feet, though it can sometimes grow larger. The tree’s leaves are dark green and glossy on top, with a silvery-white underside. The tree produces insignificant male and female catkins in the spring, followed by acorns that mature in early fall. Good drought resistance once established.>

AUTUMN - Leaves turn yellow>

BUR OAK

Quercus macrocarpa

• Flower: Fringed Acorns
• Height: 60-80’
• Width: 60’
• Sun: 8-12 Hours
• Soil: Moist
• Growth Rate:  Slow to Moderate

Bur Oak, or Mossycup Oak, is a native medium to large sized deciduous tree with a broad spreading crown that can be found in low woods and stream valleys across the Midwest. The leaves are dark green and leathery, with 5-9 rounded lobes. Acorn cups are about the size of a golf ball and are covered with a mossy scale or “bur” near the rim. Being exceptionally tolerant of drought, this tree is often in landscape settings and as roadside plantings and in shelterbelts.>

AUTUMN - Leaves turn golden to yellow-brown>

CANADA RED CHOKECHERRY

Prunus virginiana ‘Canada Red’

• Flower: Clustered Flowers
• Height: 20-25'
• Width: 20’
• Sun: 4-6 Hours
• Soil: Well-drained
• Growth Rate: Moderate

The Canada Red Chokecherry is a vibrant and resilient native American variety, known for its striking seasonal color change. In the spring it produces hanging clusters of white flowers that are 3-5” in length. In the summer, its green leaves gradually turn a deep, rich purple by mid-summer, adding visual interest to any landscape. Produces small purple fruit that are poisonous raw, but can be processed for jams or preserves.>

AUTUMN - Leaves turn dark purple by mid-summer>

TULIPTREE

Liriodendron tulipifera

• Flower: Tulip-like Flowers
• Height: 70-90’
• Width: 40’
• Sun: 4-6 Hours
• Soil: Well-drained Soil
• Growth Rate: Moderate

The Tuliptree, also called a Yellow Poplar, is a large and majestic deciduous tree native to eastern North America. The tree is recognized for its pyramidal to broad conical shape and its distinctive, cup-shaped, tulip-like flowers that bloom in spring. These yellow flowers, with an orange band at the base of each petal, are often overlooked due to their appearance after the leaves have fully developed. AUTUMN - Leaves turn from bright green to yellow

IRONWOOD

Ostrya virginiana

• Flower:Catkin Buds
• Height: 25-40’
• Width: 30’
• Sun: 4-6 Hours
• Soil: Medium Well-drained
• Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast

Ironwood, also known as American Hop Hornbeam, is a resilient under-story tree, featuring attractive birch-like leaves, grayish-brown flaky bark, finely textured drooping branches, and distinctive hop-like fruits. Known as one of the Midwest’s toughest native hardwoods, it is both ornamental and highly resistant to many diseases and insect problems, making it an excellent choice for naturalized landscapes.>

AUTUMN - Leaves turn golden yellow.

How to Get a Tree

Step 1. Show up!

Chat with knowledgeable tree people to determine the best tree for your home. Once a species of tree is selected, volunteers will give you an information sheet on your new tree. Enjoy the Fall Festival at the Nature Center. Take a stroll through the prairie, check out the six new bison, and explore the woodlands. As long as you have the flyer, you have a tree.

Step 4. Pick up your tree!

Trees will be available for pick up near the school house at the north end of the Nature Center parking lot.