4-10-2025 4:05am

ARBOR DAY

Baltimore County to Give 1,200 Free Native Trees to Residents

Pre-ordering starts April 15 for Arbor Day weekend curbside pick up

TOWSON – County Executive Kathy Klausmeier invites residents to order free native trees to plant in recognition of Arbor Day 2025, which is the last weekend in April. This year’s annual native tree giveaway offers advance online pre-ordering, or limited same day pick-up. Trees are expected to run out quickly in both cases.

“We need more trees in our neighborhoods all around the County to give shade and protect our environment,” said County Executive Klausmeier. “Trees like these can be costly, and I encourage our residents to take advantage of this great opportunity to beautify their yards for free.”

Arbor Day Weekend Tree Giveaway Details

The County’s Arbor Day weekend native tree giveaway is open to Baltimore County residents only, and each household may order up to two free trees. The Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability (DEPS) is hosting these curbside tree pickups in the parking lot of the Marshy Point Nature Center, 7130 Marshy Point Road in Middle River.

Starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15, residents may pre-order on the County website, reserving their preferred tree species, and scheduling a convenient pick-up time on Friday, April 25 or the morning of Saturday, April 26. The 900 trees available for pre-ordering are expected to be given out within a few days.

Or, residents may come to a first-come-first-served event on Saturday afternoon, April 26, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. There will be 300 trees held back for Saturday afternoon same-day pick-up, plus any pre-ordered trees that are not picked up as scheduled on Friday or Saturday morning will be offered to the public on Saturday afternoon.

Native Tree Species Available

The County is offering the following species for pre-order, which as native Maryland trees, are well-suited to local soil types, require less watering than non-native trees and are naturally resistant to pests and diseases common to our area:

150 each of these species: 75 each of these species:
- Redbud - Serviceberry
- Swamp White OakSwamp White Oak

100 each of these species: 50 each of these species:
- Hackberry - Black Gum
- Pin Oak - Red Maple
- Sweetbay Magnolia - River Birch
- White Oak - Sycamore

Trees available for unscheduled pick-up on Saturday afternoon, April 26 include:

50 each of these species: 25 each of these species:
- Black Gum - Serviceberry
- Redbud - Swamp White Oak
- Red Maple
- River Birch
- Sycamore

For questions or to cancel an order, residents may email ForestManagement@baltimorecountymd.gov, or call 410-887-1369.

Put Your Tree on the Map

County residents who plant trees themselves are asked to record the tree locations on the County’s Environmental Reporter web application, an online tool that enables the public to help the County track environmental data, including locations where people plant trees or install rain barrels.

Ongoing Tree Planting Programs - Backyard Trees and Turf to Trees

County landowners can also apply for the County to plant trees at no cost to them next fall through one of two County programs – Backyard Trees or Turf to Trees – depending on the amount of land available for planting. Eligible plantings can range from 20 trees up to a large multi-acre reforestation, converting turf to environmentally beneficial forested ecosystems.

Interested landowners can learn more on the County website. These programs focus on reforestation and do not include the planting of evergreens, or small groupings of trees intended to provide landscaping or privacy screening. The Forest Management Division of the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability manages these programs and can be contacted at ForestManagement@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Tree Benefits

Every tree planted helps increase the County’s tree canopy, reducing stormwater runoff and erosion, cooling communities and reducing greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.