Arbor Day didn’t make its way to Texas until the late 1880s. On February 22,1889, W. Goodrich Jones rallied the citizens of Temple for the first Arbor Day in our state. The following year, the city of Austin hosted the first statewide Arbor Day celebration and it has been going strong ever since. To commemorate the first Texas Arbor Day, Senator George Tyler set aside February 22 as the official Texas Arbor Day. This changed throughout the years until the date moved to the first Friday in November and became what we now celebrate as Texas Arbor Day.
Our forefathers celebrated Arbor Day in April when spring planting was the best option for northern states. National Arbor Day is still celebrated on the last Friday in April, but over time, each state has moved to their own dates. Depending on the region, the varied climate of the US has made tree planting ideal at different times of year for different locations.
Here in Texas, we experience a variety of climate extremes, such as drought and flash flooding, extreme heat and often extreme cold in the north and desert regions. Texas heat can start as early as late spring (including April) and last as long as late Fall. We don’t often cool off until late October. This makes early November the perfect time in Texas to plant and establish a tree. While our northern friends are planting in the spring, Texas trees do better when planted in the Fall.
Michael is a graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. He received his B.S in Recreation Administration in 2005 and went to work for the City of Grand Prairie, Texas right after graduation. Michael serves as Secretary of TBUFC and provides technical support for the organization.
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