OAKtober Celebration Offers Free Trees to Joliet Residents

JOLIET, Ill. - The Morton Arboretum's Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI), in partnership with the Cathedral Area Preservation Association and the City of Joliet Tree Advisory Board, will host an OAKtober celebration on Saturday, October 3, offering free trees, grown for this event, for in-ground planting.

The event will begin at 12 p.m. with a tree planting demonstration and orientation at 12:30 p.m. at 703 Western Avenue in Joliet. Tree distribution will follow while supplies last.

The program is designed to expand access to high-quality, native, and biodiverse trees throughout the region while helping residents apply the "Right Tree, Right Place" principle when selecting a tree for their property.

CRTI staff will be available to help participants select an appropriate species and provide planting guidance, care information, and hands-on demonstrations where applicable.

Trees will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and are approximately 2.5 to 4 feet tall. Trees are intended for permanent in-ground planting and are not suitable for containers.

Available species include:

• White Oak (Quercus alba)
• Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
• Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
• Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
• Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
• Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
• Illinois Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)

Attendees should bring a vehicle with adequate space to transport their tree. Most trees can fit in the back of a sedan, SUV, or truck. Because staff and equipment will be limited, attendees are also encouraged to bring a dolly or an additional person to assist with loading and transporting their tree.

The OAKtober event complements the City of Joliet's ongoing efforts to better understand and manage its urban forest. The City has received grant funding to inventory public trees and develop a management plan focused on caring for existing trees and increasing Joliet's tree canopy.

For more information, contact CRTI at [email protected]. To view their upcoming events, visit https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/chicago-region-trees-initiative/crti-events/.