Plant Trees
With your help, DoE planted close to 850 native trees last year. Find out how DoE makes it easy and affordable for you to plant trees at home, at work, and in your community.
Everyone knows that trees grace our lives with beauty, but trees also enhance our lives in very practical ways. When we “treevitalize” our communities, we reap the rewards!
According to TreeBaltimore, when you add these benefits together, a reasonable estimate of the economic and environmental benefits provided over the life of a single tree is $57,000.
Trees Protect Water Quality
One of the most overlooked and underappreciated benefits of trees is their ability to reduce the volume of water rushing through gutters and pipes following a storm. This means:
- Cleaner water when the runoff reaches rivers and lakes
- Enough groundwater to maintain summer streamflow
- Less investment in expensive infrastructure
- Reduced risk of local flooding
Tree leaves and needles break the force of rain, slowing the movement of water and reducing water pollution, runoff and flooding. In addition, tree roots and leaf litter create soil conditions that promote the infiltration of rainwater into the soil.
Additional Tree Benefits
From the air we breathe to the value of our homes to the health of our local waterways, there are many benefits to incorporating trees in urban landscapes. Trees also give shelter to wildlife, cool our communities, muffle noise and provide privacy. Overall, trees increase property values, save energy, add beauty and grace to our communities, and become a priceless heritage for future generations.
Start Planting Native Trees. DoE Programs Can Help!
DoE has several programs to assist residents with planting new trees around their homes and communities.
- Tree ReLEAF Grant Program: provides landscape funding to community organizations for tree planting projects in public spaces.
- Rain Check Rebate Program makes planting a tree at home or work more affordable than ever! Prince George’s County will reimburse the purchase price for tree(s) up to $150 per tree on residential or commercial properties.
- Arbor Day Every Day Program: provides funds for planting native trees in schoolyards.
- Tree Planting Demonstrations are available from DoE at no cost. Keep reading below.
Schedule a Tree Planting Demonstration
Want to "treevitalize" your yard or neighborhood? Host a tree planting demonstration and learn how planting trees is more affordable than ever.
Do you know which native trees and shrubs provide year-round beauty as well as a host of environmental services? Do you know why staking newly planted trees is no longer recommended? You'll learn all this and more while helping to plant trees for a brighter future.
If your community, house of worship or group is interested in hosting a live tree planting demonstration, contact Carol Barth at cabarth@co.pg.md.us to schedule. The Natural Resources and Resiliency Section interactive demonstrations are available on a first come first serve basis, free of charge.