Cary residents, here’s a chance to beautify your yard with a FREE tree.
The Town of Cary is giving residents free trees. This is an effort to add to the environmental health of the community by increasing the tree canopy. The Town of Cary is giving away more than 500 native trees. Recipients must be Cary residents.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. on September 15th, 2022. When registration opens, make sure to register right away, as supplies are limited.
Registration is through myCary For a smooth registration, be sure your myCary account is active. Once registration begins, please note that your tree will stay in your cart for only 30 minutes. Complete your register within that timeframe to ensure you have successfully reserved a tree. You’ll know your registration is complete if you receive an email that says, “You did it!” and it includes a payment receipt for $0.00 and a confirmation number. If you have trouble registering, please email recreation.support@townofcary.org.
Since the number of trees per species is limited, have a few different ones in mind before you start the process of signing up. (See tree species below.)
Tree pick-up will be Saturday, October 15th, 2022, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on the lower level of the Cary Parking Deck, 121 Wilkinson Avenue, on Town Hall campus. Pick-ups are contactless, drive-through events.
If you’re unable to pick up or plant your tree, there are volunteers who might be able to help.
Trees will be anywhere from 4 to 8 feet tall when you receive them, so make sure that you have room in your vehicle.
With your tree, you also receive:
- Tree guard
- Coupon for a free bag of topsoil
- Coupon for a free bag of mulch
- A rain gauge
- Tree planting instruction sheet and manual
Tree Species
The following tree descriptions is provided by Town of Cary. Find more information, and pictures of each tree, here.
Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla): Also called “Umbrella Magnolia,” this woodland tree has leaves that can grow over 2’ long! This tree likes part sun to part shade, and wetter areas. lt is a medium sized tree that can grow up to 30’ tall. It prefers good rich soils, and lots of love the first few years after it is planted. One of the most unusual magnolias, the flowers are large with a rich smell and red berries that often persist into the winter. This is one for those who like unusual, and pretty, trees.
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis): A tree that wears its heart on its sleeve, the eastern redbud’s branches are covered with delicate pink flowers in the spring and heart-shaped leaves all summer. This small tree (up to 15′) can tolerate a range of conditions, from shade to sun, but does best with lots of sunlight, topsoil, and mulch. Select this tree for an easy going, small growing flowering tree.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana): This shrubby tree is so pretty it just had to be a part of the giveaway! Although many companies use this shrub to make skin care products, many homeowners grow it because it is one of the few autumn-blooming trees. It can take part sun to part shade but prefers moist soil. Give it plenty of space from walkways and walls, the witch hazel can grow almost as wide (10’) as it does tall (15’)!
Sweet Tea Gordlinia (Gordlinia grandiflora): This is a beautiful flowering tree bred right here in North Carolina! A cross between the now-extinct-in-the-wild Franklinia and the native Loblolly Bay, this small, multi-stem tree is covered with large white flowers all summer. The flowers smell faintly of sweet tea, hence its name! It likes to be planted in soil that stays a little wet and can take full sun to part shade.
Paw Paw (Asimina triloba): Do you remember singing a little ditty about “little Susie pickin’ up pawpaws and puttin’ ‘em in her pockets, way down yonder in the pawpaw patch?” Well, here’s your opportunity to plant a fruit-bearing pawpaw in your yard and teach your children about the Appalachian song and this tree. It grows in deep shade to full sunlight in moist, nutrient-rich soil, making it suitable for riparian or woodland areas. Pawpaws are flowering trees that attract butterflies, pollinators, and songbirds, which makes them a good addition to a butterfly, pollinator, or rain garden.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
