Greenscape of Jacksonville, a tree advocacy nonprofit has teamed up with the city of Jacksonville since 1987 to hold its annual Great Tree Giveaway in downtown Jacksonville, which is recognized as the city’s official Arbor Day celebration each year.
This year’s event took place on Jan. 18, which was one day after the State of Florida’s official Arbor Day in 2025.
Arbor Day is held earlier in Florida than other states across the nation due to January being a better time to plant a tree so that it has substantial time to get established prior to the summer heat.
A total of 1,600 trees featuring a variety of types were given away for free during the event. These types included Elderberry, Persimmon, Shumard Oak, Tonto Crape Mrytle, Eastern Red Cedar, Bald Cypress, Dahoon Holly, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Red Maple, and Chastetree.
Each one of the trees is native and acceptive to the climate and friendly to the ecosystem in Northeast Florida.
This year’s event was even more special because it helped mark the 50th anniversary since the creation of Greenscape of Jacksonville and is part of the yearlong festivities that the nonprofit has planned.
Once the giveaway got underway, it quickly became memorable for another reason as a mass of people took part in this year’s event in one of the most attended giveaways ever.
Cars were lining up so much to get their trees that traffic was beginning to back up a lane on both the Hart and Matthews Bridges heading to downtown.
As a result, certain types of trees began running out in the first hour of the planned four-hour event, which is something executive director Lisa Grubba had never experienced before.
The 1,600 trees given away during the event will just continue to add to the total of trees that the organization has helped plant in the Jacksonville area since it was founded Ann Baker and Susan Fisher Davis in 1975.
Over the past 50 years, the organization is credited with adding more than 350,000 trees to the local community’s canopy, and continues to strive to approach neighborhoods, institutions and government agencies with exciting and innovative project ideas to ensure this growth continues.
Another big event scheduled is the 50th Anniversary Root Ball, which is the organization’s major benefit gala which will be held April 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the River Club in the Wells Fargo Center located at 1 Independent Drive in downtown Jacksonville.
This year’s goal is to raise $200,000 and this event will have a Masters Tournament theme with a dinner, live and silent auctions and a mini-golf tournament taking place.
