The city, which works in conjunction with local tree-planting nonprofit Trees for Tomorrow, has for years met the requirements to be a Tree City USA community, and is now one of 38 in the state. This designation requires a city to have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, at least $2 spent per capita on trees and an Arbor Day celebration and proclamation.
This year's tree transplant came after the removal of a damaged, decades-old Red oak earlier this fall during renovations to Pride Park, which also included a new outdoor stage, landscaping work and other facility improvements. The 18-foot tall bur oak to be installed will replace some of that shade, and has the potential to do so for many years to come, according to City Arborist Stephen Wild. Such a tree has a potential lifespan of 400 years, he said, and will be installed in a location where the city has the ability to fully protect it.
“These trees are not entirely for us, but for the future as well,” he said.
A Bur oak like the one planted, with a 5-inch diameter, can catch 381 gallons of runoff stormwater annually, reducing pollution and erosion. This number expands greatly as the tree grows, since a Bur oak with a 20-inch trunk catches 5,621 gallons of stormwater runoff.
Many of the trees planted on public land in Hartsville are installed and established by Trees for Tomorrow, for which the City of Hartsville is a contributor. The organization has planted thousands of trees overall including more than 90 trees of many varieties in the 2011-12 season.
About South Carolina’s Arbor Day
Although National Arbor Day takes place the last Friday in April, states celebrate at differing times based on local climate. State law sets South Carolina’s Arbor Day on the first Friday of December, which marks the beginning of the local tree-planting season, running from December until mid-March when rainfall and the dormancy of vegetation allow for easier transplanting.
