Free Tree Seedlings Offered

by Lydia Holley January 27, 2025

Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension, and Henderson County Master Gardener Association are teaming up to bring you free tree seedlings on Friday, February 7, 9:00 a.m. to noon, at the Harvest Garden located inside Henderson County Fair Park Complex, 3356 Hwy 31, Athens. Trees will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Some of the trees offered include Cherrybark Oak, Bald cypress, Nuttall Oak, Pecan, Shumard Oak, Sawtooth Oak, Chinquapin Oak, and Bur Oak.

Seedlings are small and will need to be babied for approximately three years until they are well established. Until then, their roots are too tiny to withstand drought or extreme cold. But you may be surprised how quickly these trees will grow.

Cherrybark Oak can reach heights to 130 ft. Its leaves turn orange in the fall. Bald cypress turns a lovely rust color in fall and can grow to 100 ft. Nuttall Oak also turns a nice red-orange in fall, but it is a little less commanding, towering only to 75 ft.

Pecan is the state tree of Texas. It provides delicious fruit in the form of a nut, but it needs ample space, as it can grow to over 100 ft tall. Shumard Oak turns brilliant red in fall, grows to 100 ft, and Neil Sperry says their trunks need to be wrapped with paper for the first two or three years of their life to keep the blazing sun from cracking its trunk. Still, it is many foresters’ favorite tree.

Sawtooth Oak, a native to Eastern Asia, has both good and bad qualities. It grows to only 60 ft, which may be a better size for many yards. Its leaves turn yellow in fall. It also has unusual acorns with recurving scales along the cups. However, it makes an abundance of acorns, which is good if you want to feed the wildlife, not so good if you plant it near a walkway. Because of its ability to make so many acorns, it is being watched or is listed as invasive in several states.

Chinquapin Oak grows to a manageable size, to only around 65 ft. It turns a dark red in fall. One interesting fact is that its acorns can be roasted and eaten. Chinquapin Oak will also do well in soils that are neutral to leaning alkaline.

Bur Oak tolerates a wide range of soil types and pH. It grows to 80 ft. It is also a favorite of foresters as its acorns are unusual, with the nut tucked into a cup with non-thorny decorative burs on its rim. Because of this, it is sometimes called mossy-overcup oak. Unfortunately, it takes some time to see these beautiful acorns, as the USDA states, “the minimum seed-bearing age is about 35 years, and the optimum is 75 to 150 years.” This oak may be slow growing, but it will outlive you, as some have been known to live over 400 years. This is the perfect plant if you are planting for the future. USDA also states it is “one of the most drought resistant of the North American oaks.”

For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].