28th Annual TreeFest

NEW HANOVER COUNTY – The 28th annual TreeFest will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 at Independence Mall inside the JCPenney corridor.

Households may choose up to five (5) free trees or grasses from the available selection (a $5 donation per household is suggested). All species are native to North Carolina and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

This year, tree species include Longleaf Pine, Bald Cypress, Chickasaw Plum, Buttonbush, Red Maple (Piedmont), River Birch, Flowering Dogwood, Southern Wax Myrtle, Sugarberry, Eastern Redbud, Crabapple, and Coastal White Oak. Silky Dogwood (shrub), Little Bluestem, and Big Bluestem grasses will also be available. Please note that all species are subject to availability, and some may not be available at the giveaway. Trees are bare-root and should be planted as soon as possible.

More than 5,000 individual plants will be available during the giveaway, with an equal amount distributed each day. To serve as many in our community as possible, we ask patrons to limit household allotments to five plants. In an effort to reduce single-use plastics, the TreeFest committee asks visitors to bring their own non-leaking bag or bucket to take home their bare root seedlings when possible. 

Experts will be available at TreeFest to help with plant selection and provide information for their care. Before selecting trees, residents are encouraged to consider the size of the site, whether utility lines exist above and below ground, proximity to buildings, and site conditions like soil type, drainage, and sun exposure.

Trees offer many benefits to our community, including flood protection, improving water and air quality, creating shade and oxygen, and providing food and nesting sites for birds and wildlife. 

TreeFest began in 1997 after hurricanes Bertha and Fran decimated tree populations in the area. Since its inception, TreeFest has given away over 150,000 tree seedlings and grasses to area residents. The NC Forest Service Nursery in Goldsboro, NC grew the plants for this event. A voluntary planning committee and many sponsors, including the City of Wilmington, Independence Mall, N.C. Cooperative Extension, NC Forest Service, New Hanover County Soil and Water Conservation District, and UNCW’s Departments of Environmental Sciences and Biology & Marine Biology make TreeFest possible with the generous donations from its patrons and event day volunteers.