Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will be hosting its annual Tree Week on Feb. 2 through Feb. 5 with four stops around the county.
Since 1977, the county has done a tree giveaway in hopes of replenishing trees that have been cut down. For several years, Madison County SWCD has given and sold tree bundles of bare root seedlings from locations in the cities of Flora, Canton, Ridgeland and Madison for one week.
“Trees are very important to us,” Celia R. Miller, Madison County SWCD District Coordinator and contact for Tree Week said. “We use trees for a lot of different things, but we also want to replenish what has been cut down. A lot of trees that we order are hardwoods, which are big trees that last a long time. They are good for the habitats, the community and have great landscaping opportunities.”
These hardwood trees are included in the “give-away” bundle that is free. The bundle includes two White Oak trees, two Myrtle Oak trees, and two Red Maple trees. Attendees are limited to one give-away bundle.
The second bundle available includes two Red Crape Myrtle trees and two White Dogwood trees. Both of these trees are flowering trees and a bundle costs $5. Miller said they include flowering trees because they are great for urban sites that are limited in the growth available on their grounds. Attendees are limited to two of these bundles.
“We want to make sure they carry out through all locations,” Miller said.
The final bundle consists of two Red Delicious Apple trees for $20 a bundle. Only one of these bundles will be allowed per household. This specific bundle is only available for Madison County residents.
“Most counties have an annual tree giveaway that they do, but we do have people that cross the county line,” Miller said. “We don’t mind sharing at all, but because the fruit trees are a little bit more expensive than the rest of the trees, we want to make sure our residents get them first.”
This bundle will also be more limited than the other non-fruit bearing trees with only 50 bundles at each location.
“We order about 800 of each species, and then we just split them up in between the four locations,” Miller said. “What doesn’t go at the first location will be taken to the second location and so on.”
While Madison County SWCD hasn’t sold out of its trees completely the last few years, Miller said they get close and some years are busier than others.
“We do get very close (to selling out) and the trees that we have leftover, we turn around and donate to some parks and recreation areas,” Miller said. “We try to do it that way so they are all used. Some years we have people waiting in line by the time we get there and then some years it’s slow. It is all according to the weather.”
On Feb. 2, the trees will be sold in Flora across from Corner Street Market Main Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Feb. 3, the sale will be in Canton at the Courthouse Square from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Feb. 4, residents can get trees in Ridgeland at the new city hall at 10 West School Street, which is the only location change this year. The final day to receive trees will be on Feb. 5 in Madison at Kroger - Colony Crossing from 9:30 a.m. to noon or until trees sell out.
“We just ask everybody to come out and pick up some trees,” Miller said.
For more information, contact Madison County SWCD at 601-859-4272 Ext. 3.
