Did you know the five most common trees in the United States are the red maple, loblolly pine, sweetgum, douglas-fir and quaking aspen? National Arbor Day – which falls on April 25, 2014 – is the perfect time to plant them! Founded over 135 years ago, Arbor Day is dedicated to planting and celebrating trees across the United States. Trees add beauty and value to our landscapes, and provide many environmental benefits. They help clean the air by absorbing pollutants, provide oxygen that we breathe, absorb rain water and snowmelt, prevent erosion and more!
Several states celebrate their state Arbor Days on April 25, too. Check out the list below.
Learn about trees in your area and take a hike with friends and family to see how many you can identify.
Volunteer with a local tree-planting organization to plant trees in your community.
Plant a tree at home. After choosing one from the many different species of trees that can grow where you live, consider the location of the tree before planting it. Add deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in the fall) on the south, east and west sides of your home to provide shade during the summer, reducing cooling costs. Plant evergreen trees along the north and west sides of your home to block chilly winds.
States Celebrating Arbor Day on April 25
Arizona – Palo Verde
Connecticut – White Oak
Delaware – American Holly
District of Columbia – Scarlet Oak
Idaho – Western White Pine
Illinois – White Oak
Indiana – Tulip Tree
Iowa – Oak
Kansas – Cottonwood
Massachusetts – American elm
Michigan – Eastern white pine
Minnesota – Norway pine (or red pine)
Montana – Ponderosa pine
Nebraska – Cottonwood
Nevada – Bristlecone pine & Single-leaf piñon
New Hampshire – White birch
New Jersey – Red oak
New York – Sugar maple
Ohio – Ohio buckeye
Pennsylvania – Eastern hemlock
South Dakota – Black Hills spruce
Rhode Island – Red maple
Utah – Quaking aspen (as of 2014)
Virginia – Flowering dogwood
Wisconsin – Sugar maple
Wyoming – Cottonwood
(Sources: Arbor Day Foundation. “Benefits of Trees.” http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm; PATrees.org, “Trees and Forests Reduce the Impacts of Stormwater,” http://www.patrees.org/trees-reduce-stormwater; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, “Native Plant Database,” http://www.wildflower.org/plants/)
From Earth Gauge