If you have ever sought shade beneath leafy branches, hiked under a forest canopy or relaxed under a spreading oak, thank a tree. There’s even a special day set aside: Arbor Day, which the U.S. celebrates on the last Friday in April. This year, that’s April 24. However, several states observe Arbor Day at different times based on their ideal planting seasons. In Florida, it falls on the third Friday in January.
Arbor Day was established by tree enthusiast Julius Sterling Morton on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska City, Neb. It’s estimated that nearly 1 million trees were planted in the Cornhusker State on this day. By 1920, more than 45 states and territories were celebrating the holiday, and today Arbor Day is observed nationwide.
Born in Adams, N.Y., Morton attended school in Michigan, then headed to Nebraska after getting married. The couple settled on 160 acres that were treeless — but not for long. Morton planted an apple orchard, as well as peach, plum and pear trees, along with cottonwoods, evergreens and beeches. Then he urged Nebraskans to do the same. (Morton, sadly, was also a newspaper editor whose pro-slavery views made him a controversial political figure.) Today, the family home is preserved as Arbor Lodge State Historical Park.
Did you know that the world’s forests produce about 28% of Earth’s oxygen? According to environmental research compiled by Plantd Life, certain species are especially efficient oxygen producers. Oak trees top the list. Banyan and neem trees, both of which grow in Florida, are also on it. Others are aspen, birch, Douglas fir and maple.
Planting trees not only helps the environment but also supports pollinators and provides habitats for insects and wildlife.