Arbor Day is an opportunity to celebrate the trees that make your world better! While National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, the first Friday in December (December 3, 2021) is South Carolina’s Arbor Day. The difference in dates is that trees in South Carolina are better able to get established when planted in the winter. According to the SC Forestry Commission, our planting season begins in December and ends in mid-March. To learn more about best practices for planting trees, see HGIC 1001, Planting Trees Correctly and HGIC, Plant a Tree.
My favorite tree is the white oak (Quercus alba). I love its rounded form, beautifully shaped leaves, and fairytale acorns. Its light bark, where the branches begin, makes it easily identifiable. Oaks are the host plants for hundreds of caterpillar species that provide essential food for baby birds. Another reason for my fondness for American white oak is it was a wood my dad valued in his work as a cabinet maker. All in all, it makes my heart sing.
Do you have a favorite native tree? Let us know!
This white oak (Quercus alba) is on the Arboretum Trail in the South Carolina Botanical Garden.
Sue Watts, ©2021, Clemson University, Botanical Gardens
