The My Tree, Our Tree event will be held in conjunction with Cary's Arbor Day celebration from noon – 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2026 on the Lawn of Page-Walker Arts & History Center on Town Hall Campus. There are five tree species available. Registration is open now, and trees are available while supplies last. Please note, you must complete the registration process to secure your tree. You will receive a receipt at the end of the registration process confirming your tree.

Trees are only available at the pickup event on March 28. Participants who are unable to pick up or plant their trees can get assistance. We have volunteers who will help! Reach out to 311 to learn how to request assistance picking up or planting.  

Tree Species

Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)

The smaller of our native magnolias, sweet bays have beautiful white flowers and big glossy, silvery leaves. They can grow between 10 and 35 feet in height, but in our area tend to average around 20 feet in height. They are unusual in that they are semi-evergreen, which means they keep some of their leaves year-round. Ornamental trees with big white spring flowers that turn into showy clusters of red berries in the fall, they love full sun to part shade, and wet soil in particular, but will put on a better flower show with more sunlight. Select this tree if you want a smaller growing tree with fragrant white flowers.

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 American Snowbell (Styrax americanus)

Plant in full sun to partial shade in rich, acidic, well-drained sandy loam-based soils. It is tolerant of wet soils.  American snowbell is a small, multi-stemmed tree, sometimes considered a large shrub. When mature, it reaches a height and width of 6 to 10 feet with a wide, open crown and dense, uniform branches that originate from the base and up the main trunk.  It derives its name from the delicate white bell-like flowers that form in the spring. The white flowers exude an aura of sweet fragrance that attracts pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths. Use this flowering small tree or shrub as a specimen in wet areas of the landscape, in a woodland garden, or in small groups as a backdrop to a border or for screening. Planting it near a patio will ensure the enjoyment of the fragrant blooms. Prefers full sun or partial shade.

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Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)

Swamp white oak is a medium sized oak, reaching a maximum height of 50-60 feet at maturity. This tree prefers full sun, moist to wet acidic soil with a high mineral content, but it is adaptable to drier sites. A unique characteristic of this native oak is a two-toned leaf - leaves are dark, shiny green above and silvery white beneath, with 5-10 rounded lobes or blunt teeth along the margins. This oak also has attractive peeling bark, making it a distinctive shade tree for your yard.  Due to the root system, it is tolerant of areas that have spring flooding and fairly dry summers. It is tolerant of heat and drought, but sensitive to soil compaction, salt and air pollution.

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Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)

This ornamental shrub tolerates a wide variety of soil and conditions, including shade with occasional drought or flooding. For best growth, plant in moist, well-drained soil and sun. While the growth habit is an upright oval, the older branches arch with age. Suckers also develop with age and are easy to transplant. Arrowwood can grow to be 10 feet tall and wide. Pruning should be done after flowering as next season’s flowers appear on old growth.  Its ornamental features include white, flat-topped flowers in late spring, ink-blue fruits in September, and wine-red fall color. More than one genetic strain is needed to generate fruit, meaning it needs to be cross-pollinated with another viburnum to produce fruit. The native shrub makes a great screen, informal hedge, and is useful in groupings and masses, or as filler in the border. The shrub is winter-hardy and valuable to wildlife. It provides nectar for pollinators, including native bees, food and shelter for birds, and is a larval host plant. Arrowwood is deer-resistant. 

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American Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)

This small flowering tree will make you look twice! The fringe tree earns its name from fringe-like white flowers that cover it in late spring. It is a small and slow growing tree, reaching a mature height of about twenty feet. Full sun brings the most blooms, but it can tolerate partial shade, and particularly likes shade in the afternoon.  It prefers moist soils but can tolerate some drought once established. Prune it into a single stem tree, or let it grow into a fatter shrub like shape for the biggest flower show.

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Tree Planting Tips

We want to help you plant and grow a healthy, happy tree!

Watch this brief video by a master arborist as she describes five easy steps to properly plant a tree.

Here are a few additional resources to help with tree planting.

• Tree Planting Instructions
• Beautyberry Planting Instructions
• Tree Owners Manual
• Additional Resources

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