Trees for OP60

Trees for OP60

Let’s celebrate Overland Park’s 60th anniversary by planting 6,000 trees in 2020!

Sapling Giveaways

The City gave away free tree saplings at the Mayor’s State of the City luncheon.

More will be available at the Arbor Day tree seedling giveaway. Or, purchase your own tree off the approved street tree list and plant it.

Register Your Tree

To be included in the list of 6,000 trees planted for Overland Park’ 60th Anniversary, share your planting with us! Use this form to let us know what you’re planting and be included. Then, post a photo or video of you or your family planting the tree to social media. Use #treesforOP60 to be included.

Register Your Tree

Sapling Giveaway Species

Black Hills Spruce

The Black Hills Spruce, a variety of White Spruce, is slow growing, very dense and has a pyramidal habit when young. It is native to South Dakota and can grow 20 – 40 feet tall.

This tree is best grown in moist loamy soils but can tolerate clay soils. It is one of most tolerant spruces of wind, heat and cold conditions. Black Hills Spruce are somewhat drought resistant and make a good yard or specimen tree, but can also be used in a windbreak.

Its wood has been used for lumber, pulpwood and can make a nice Christmas tree. This tree provides good winter cover and nesting sites for birds.

Oriental Arborvitae

Oriental arborvitae is native to China, Japan, and Korea. This small, fast-growing evergreen tree will grow 20-30 feet tall with a spread of 12-15 feet. It is upright and pyramidal in shape. The leaves are scale-like with an inconspicuous woody cone. Oriental arborvitae will grow in full sun or partial shade. This arborvitae is widely-planted due to its urban toughness. It is heat and drought tolerant and adaptive to soil types.

Oriental arborvitae is a great windbreak year round. Its low branches provide good cover for wildlife.

Planting Tips

  1. Plant your tree as soon as possible.
  2. If you are unable to plant it within one day after receiving it, place it in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. DO NOT FREEZE!
  3. Select a sunny place to plant the tree.
  4. Dig a small hole, about 6 inches in diameter and 10-12 inches deep.
  5. Remove the seedling tree from the bag.
  6. Place the seedling in the hole, making sure that the roots are straight down.
  7. Crumble the soil in your hands before packing it firmly back into the hole around the tree.
  8. Tamp the soil lightly with your foot and make certain that the seedling is standing straight and not leaning.
  9. About a quart of water should be enough for the first watering. As it grows older, more water will be required by the tree.

Care Tips

If there is no space in your yard, this seedling tree may be planted in a container, such as a 3-pound coffee can.

If a container is used, punch at least five holes the size of a penny in the bottom of the can. Then, fill the container to within one inch of the top with the best soil available and follow the same planting instructions as are given for
planting in other places. Water twice each week.

Besides periodic waterings, mulching is important to the trees. A mulch is a material such as peat moss, straw, leaves, pecan shells or ground bark which is placed around the base of the tree to protect the roots against extremely low or high temperatures. Mulches also help to conserve moisture and through the process of decay, they add organic matter to the soil.