Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

How Arbor Day Got Its Roots

Celebrate Arbor Day Friday—Plant a Tree

Story by Celeste von Mangan

“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel.” –Aldo Leopold

The first Arbor Day was April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. Homesteaders were encouraged to plant trees to provide shade, shelter, fruit orchards and beauty on the barren plains, and plant they did—more than one million trees on that single day.

Julius Sterling Morton is considered the father of Arbor Day. As a journalist and later as editor of the first Nebraska newspaper, Morton spread agricultural information as well as his enthusiasm for trees to a receptive audience. He promoted trees not only in his articles and editorials, but also by encouraging civic organizations and groups to participate in tree-planting efforts.

Arbor Day is now celebrated in all 50 states and elsewhere around the world, including China. Though it is observed in different months abroad, it is observed on the last Friday in April each year in the United States, always as near to Morton’s April 22 birthday as possible. This year, Arbor Day falls on Friday, April 27.

In 2006, members of the National Arbor Day Foundation planted more than 8.5 million trees. The foundation was established in 1972 to inspire people to plant and nurture trees in their communities, and anyone who becomes a member will receive ten free trees. Choices include flowering trees, oak and Colorado blue spruce. Order by April 30 for spring shipping in the High Country. For info, click to www.arborday.org.

Tree Facts

• The longleaf pine is North Carolina’s official state tree.

• In 2004 the United States finally selected an official national tree—the oak.

• The oldest tree in the world was thought to be an ancient bristlecone pine named Methuselah that was more than 4,700 years old and located in the White Mountains of east central California. However, a giant redwood in California known as Eternal God is thought to be 12,000 years old.

• The Wattieza tree lived 380 million years ago and fossil remains indicate it was a palm-like giant.

• In the world’s rain forests, 100 trees are cut down each minute.

• More than 2.5 billion trees are planted in the United States each year.