October — Tree Talk 

2024 Richmond Tree Week

This year’s Richmond Tree Week marked the 5th annual city-wide week celebrating all things tree! Taking place from October 11 – October 20 this year, more than 20 community organizations participated in 40 free tree-centric events throughout the city of Richmond. Over the course of ten days, Richmonders came together to plant trees, give away free tree seedlings, attend educational workshops, take part in walking and biking tours, volunteer, and more.

“Events like Richmond Tree Week reaffirm the importance of our work. Talking to members of the community is always gratifying and educational. It excites me to know so many folks value greenspace and want to learn more about how they can contribute.” — Mary Petres, Horticulture Manager

Reforest Richmond organizes Richmond Tree Week each year, it was formerly known as Arbor Day RVA. Reforest Richmond is working to increase Richmond’s urban tree canopy to 60% by 2037 in accordance with the city-wide Master Plan, “Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth” adopted in 2020. This weeklong event is one of the ways they’re working towards that goal.

“Richmond Tree Week was an active example of how Richmonders not only want to see increased tree canopy but also want to learn more about trees, greenspace, and how to advocate for nature. We met so many folks interested in supporting a greener, healthier community and Capital Trees was thrilled to be part of this collaborative effort that shares those resources.” — Jesse Palma, Community Engagement Manager

While Reforest Richmond takes the lead on organizing Richmond Tree Week, many additional organizations and groups come together to make Richmond Tree Week happen. This year’s partners included:

• Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
• The 500-Year Forest Foundation
• Benchtop Brewing
• Capital Trees
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Chimborazo Native Food Project
• COR – Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities (PRCF)
• COR – James River Park System (JRPS)
• COR – Urban Forestry Division (UFD)
• COR- Office of Sustainability (OOS)
• Davey Tree
• Groundwork RVA
• James River Association
• Local Ecotype Richmond Natives (LERN)
• Reedy Creek Coalition
• Richmond Community ToolBank
• Richmond Henrico Health District
• Richmond Master Gardeners
• Richmond Tree Stewards
• RVA Green Drinks
• RVA Urban Wood
• Science Museum of Virginia
• Southside ReLeaf
• Sports Backers
• Swansboro West Civic Association
• Truetimber Arborists
• VCUSustainability
• Virginia Department of Forestry

“We are grateful to be part of Richmond Tree Week, as it reflects the core values of Capital Trees: collaboration and inspiration. This week highlights the collective efforts of community members, park staff, nonprofit leaders, and businesses, all working together to expand Richmond’s tree canopy. It also engages and inspires the community to learn more about these vital efforts.” — Shelly Barrick Parsons, Executive Director

Capital Trees is proud to work with Reforest Richmond each year to assist with Richmond Tree Week. We too know the importance of trees (hey, it’s in our name!) Each tree planted as part of Richmond Tree Week, or sent home to be planted in residential yards, helps contribute to the tree canopy, providing shade and cooling temperatures on the ground. This year we hosted a volunteer workday, two tree giveaway stations, and offered tours of both the Low Line and our new project site, Hotchkiss Green, at Hotchkiss Field Community Center. 

“High Fives for Capital Trees’ Tree Giveaway during Richmond Tree Week! I am excited to watch the Loblolly Pine I took home sprout up, and for the expert advice I received on planting it from Mary Petres, Capital Trees’ Horticulture Manager.” – Anne Poarch, Director of Advancement

October — Featured Trees Seasonal Update

This year we’ll be documenting the same two trees as they progress out of dormancy, bud out in the spring, are full of foliage in the summer, and lose their leaves in the fall. Follow along for monthly updates on the River Birch and Eastern White Redbud along the Low Line Gardens in Richmond, Virginia.

October — Urban Green Space Maintenance

October was a busy month in the gardens. Along with the usual weeding, we also planted several hundred daffodil bulbs donated by the Virginia Daffodil Society. These are in addition to the bulbs they donated and helped plant last fall in the median beds of Great Shiplock Park. We can’t wait to see the enhanced display this coming spring!

Several of the beds along the Low Line received a facelift with new perennials being planted. We added Cephalotaxus occidentalis (Button Bush) and more Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’.  We planted more Aster laevis and Phlox divarcarta (Woodland phlox). Mark your calendar to visit the gardens this coming spring, the Woodland phlox creates quite the show.

The current fall foliage of the itea and amsonia are breathtaking, the fothergilla is just beginning to change, and the trees are steadily dropping leaves. We hope you’ll visit soon to appreciate the changing seasons.

In addition to our Wednesday maintenance volunteers, we hosted additional private work groups in the gardens, helping us tackle our never-ending maintenance tasks.

October — Spotted at: Great Shiplock Park

In spring of 2024, we planted plugs of Asclepias tuberosa, a variety of milkweed commonly known as butterfly weed, at Great Shiplock Park. Milkweed is the only host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars, and adult monarchs look for milkweed plants to lay their eggs on. With a declining and endangered monarch butterfly population, they need all the help they can get, and the more of us who plant native milkweeds the better! Fast forward to late summer / early fall, and we spotted monarch caterpillars taking advantage of the new plantings, munching away on the milkweed plants we planted earlier this year at Great Shiplock. We’re happy to be able to provide monarchs with their food source in an otherwise largely urban area to help support their population. Learn more about milkweed here.