The Town of Lexington Public Works Department (DPW), in partnership with Lex250, is offering residents free tree seedlings to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington. The seedlings were purchased from the Massachusetts Tree Wardens’ and Foresters’ Association as part of their Arbor Day/Earth Day seedling program.
Seedlings can be requested by stopping by the DPW building, calling 781-274-8300, or by emailing [email protected]. Residents can pick up the seedlings from DPW at the Public Services Building at 201 Bedford St., Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A total of 250 seedlings will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last, with no more than two seedlings per household.
Available tree species include:
Douglas Fir “Lincoln” – 8 to 12 inches in height. A broadly conical to narrow, pyramidal evergreen tree that can grow between 40 and 80 feet in height and 15 to 20 feet wide. The mature bark is thick and fissured and is reddish-brown. The leaves are evergreen needles, blue-green to silvery gray-green.
White Oak – 6 to 12 inches in height. A large, slow-growing native deciduous hardwood tree that can grow between 80 to 100 feet in height. The tree has fingerlike lobed leaves with rounded tips and no bristles. The fall foliage color is dark reddish to brown.
Tulip Poplar – 12 to 18 inches in height. A large native deciduous tree that can grow between 90 to 120 feet in height. It has tulip-like flowers with yellow-green petals. The tulip poplar is a popular nesting site for birds, and flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
American Hornbeam – 12 to 24 inches in height. A native deciduous tree that can grow 20 to 30 feet in height and 20 to 35 feet wide. The common name of the tree, musclewood, is due to its smooth bark with bumps underneath resembling muscles. The leaves are red-orange in the fall.
Washington Hawthorn: 12 to 24 inches in height. A deciduous tree that is noted for its attractive flowers and foliage, bright red fruits and fall color. It is a small, low-branching, deciduous tree that typically grows 25 to 30 feet tall with a rounded crown.