THERE’S no better time to plant a tree than right now and Vancouver Park Board’s popular semi-annual tree sale starts today (Tuesday) with trees available to Vancouver residents for just $10 each. These include 21 fruit, flowering and evergreen varieties of every shape and size, suitable for small balconies to large yards.
A total of 1,500 trees will be available for this sale. The Orangeola Japanese maple and golden threadleaf false cypress are both good options for patio containers. Little ruby fig, Italian honey fig, crimson passion cherry, and scarlet sentinel pillar apple are excellent fruit-bearing options for patio containers.
“Our urban forest plays many important roles: it cleans the air, absorbs rainwater, provides bird habitat, and improves our health and well-being,” said Park Board Chair Stuart Mackinnon. “The Park Board wants to help everyone grow our urban forest through the $10 tree sale.”
Planting on private property continues to be the biggest area of opportunity to replenish Vancouver’s vital tree canopy.
Trees can be purchased online at vancouver.ca/tree-sale and picked up at Hillcrest Centre on Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A limited number of trees will be available on site for cash sale from 2 to 4 p.m. to Vancouver residents who miss out on the online bookings.
Buyers must bring proof of Vancouver residency, such as a driver’s licence or a recent bill showing their address.
By October, the Park Board will have planted more than 125,000 new trees since 2010, enough to cover Stanley Park more than four times. About 55 per cent of the new trees were planted in streets and parks while 45 per cent were planted on private lands including backyards and development sites.
The Urban Forest Strategy outlines plans to restore forests across 25 hectares of natural areas and to double the number of street trees in priority neighbourhoods such as the Downtown Eastside, Marpole, and False Creek Flats.
Trees are vital to our environment and daily lives. They provide shade and relief from urban heat, clean the air, provide a home for birds and wildlife and are increasingly recognized for their health benefits, points out Vancouver Park Board.
The next tree sale takes place in spring 2020.
