---

This November, The New Jersey Tree Foundation will give away 200 trees in Asbury Park as part of a grant from Amercian Forests.

A Tree For Every Yard will help increase the City’s tree canopy, beautify homes, and help create cool, shady yards, according to a release from the foundation.

There are 100 white fringe trees [Chionanthus virginicus] and 100 black gum trees [Nyssa sylvatica] available.

White fringe trees [at right] are easily grown in average, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.  They produce creamy white flowers in late May to early June, are tolerant of air pollution, and adapt well to urban settings. Their maximum height and width top out at 20 feet.

Black gum trees [left] produce summer leaves that are a dark green and their fall foliage many shades of yellow, orange, bright red, purple or scarlet. Trees grow 30- to 50-feet high with a 20- to 3- foot spread. They prefer well-drained, acidic soils, and full sun to partial shade.

Anyone who would like a free tree for their yard is asked to provide their contact information to the foundation and answer one survey question to select their tree type. Click here to access the survey.

Trees will be provided to the first 200 survey respondents.

Trees must be picked up on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2014, between 9 a.m. and noon at Sunset Park, located at Sunset Avenue and Bond Street. All trees are three feet tall in a pot and will easily fit into any sized vehicle, the release states. A reminder email will be sent prior to the pickup date from a NJ Tree Foundation staff member.

The foundation will do their best to fill all request, but survey respondents should be prepared to accept either tree.

The giveaway is being held in partnership with the Asbury Park Environment & Shade Tree Commission.

The trees come through a partnership with American Forests’ Community ReLeaf program, which has already seen several trees take root in the city along DeWitt Avenue and most recently along Wesley Lake.

As part of this program, American Forests identifies cities that could benefit from an analysis of their urban forests — or aspects of their urban forests — based on research and conversations with urban forest managers. Then, each year, a handful of cities are selected as “project sites” for that year’s Community ReLeaf activities. Asbury Park was selected in 2013 along with Pasadena, Calif., Atlanta, Ga., Detroit and Nashville.

[Photo at top: Representatives from the NJ Tree Foundation, American Forests and volunteers from Bank of America pose after planting several trees along Wesley Lake.]

————————————————————

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook and Twitter.

---