Hillsborough County Celebrates Arbor Day With Tree Plantings

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough County will planted trees and shrubs throughout county parks Friday as part of its continuing to provide shade and lower cooling costs.

In the past three years, the county has planted more than 4,500 trees at parks and public spaces.

The county's tree-planting program began in 2019 and primarily uses fees charged to developers to pay for trees that are planted throughout Hillsborough County. The county's goal is to plant more than 20,000 trees over the life of the five-year program.

Trees provide shade, clean the air, harbor wildlife, lower cooling costs, soak up stormwater and enhance property values, said the county.

Projects since the tree-planting program began include:

• Hillsborough County's first arboretum at Carrollwood Village Park has 331 trees - 60 species representing 17 countries.
• Parks & Recreation worked with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful to plant about 50 trees at Bethune Park in Wimauma.
• Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation oversaw the planting of dozens of trees and shrubs at Gardenville Park & Recreation Center, 6219 Symmes Road, Gibsonton.
• A fruit orchard is growing outside Mango Recreation Center. Parks & Recreation and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful planted 42 saplings representing 19 varieties of trees such as mango, avocado, papaya, and guava. Children at the center tend to the orchard and take home the harvest to their families.
• Parks & Recreation and the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors planted about 40 live oaks, robellini palms, purple tabebuias, crepe myrtles, bald cypress, and red maple trees at Northlakes Sports Complex, along with 20 blueberry flax lilies.
• Parks & Recreation is collaborating with University of Florida graduate students to assess the health and diversity of the urban forest at 144 Hillsborough County parks. The information will allow staff to better manage the urban forest and to plan additional tree-planting projects.

For more information about planting trees on Arbor Day, visit Arbor Day Foundation's website.