Have you seen the Spirit of Trees site? If not, be sure to visit. It is an outgrowth of the DC Memorial Tree Groves Project and has become a beautiful and useful site for people who care about trees.
The Department of Public Works will again distribute tree seedlings on the library lawn, April 17 2004. A list of trees can be found on the arborist's page. A few larger trees will be raffled off.
For those of you who want to find out additional information about the trees that will be given away - here are the taxonomic names. You will probably need these to effectively use print and online resources. The common name Indigobush, for example, is used for more than one plant. (Choose "continue reading" for the Latin names and for our resource recommendations)
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Northern red oak (Quercus rubra)
Willow oak (Quercus phellos)
Pin oak (Quercus palustris)
White oak (Quercus alba)
Indigobush (Amorpha fruiticosa)
Service Berry (Amelanchier canadensis)
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Print sources in the library:
We have a large circulating group of tree and botany books, as well as a substantial reference collection including works such as the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees. Go to both Dewey numbers 582.16 (botany/trees) and 635.9 (horticulture/trees) in the reference room and well as in the adult non-fiction area.
Good web sources:
What tree is it?
The Tree of Life
The history of Arbor Day and the National Arbor Day Foundation
PLANTS National Database
Tree Guide