- Florida Arbor Day 2026 will be celebrated on Jan. 17 at E.P. Powers Park in Gainesville with tree care talks and free native seedlings.
- The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and allows attendees to plant trees and learn about tree care including protection and palm diseases.
The public is invited to take part in a Florida Arbor Day 2026 celebration on Saturday, Jan. 17, at E.P. Powers Park on Newnans Lake in Gainesville.
The event, which will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5910 SE Hawthorne Rd., will offer attendees several opportunities to learn about and celebrate trees. Guest speakers and local tree experts will discuss tree care topics like lighting protection, palm diseases and the importance of trees to butterflies and bees. Participants will also get to help plant and learn about caring for trees and take a young tree home.
Free native flowering trees will be available to attendees while supplies last.
“In Florida, we celebrate Arbor Day in January because the shorter days and cooler temperatures are the perfect conditions for planting trees, but it’s also a great time to study trees,” Alachua County Arborist Lacy Holtzworth said in a press release. “County residents love to learn, so we encourage folks to come to our Arbor Day celebration with questions and a curiosity about these magnificent trees living and growing amongst us.”
The origins of Arbor Day trace back to 1872, when Nebraska resident Sterling Morton inspired the planting of one million trees. Meanwhile, Florida Arbor Day began in 1886 and is celebrated during the third week of January.
For more information, visit https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/history or contact Holtzworth at 352-264-6800 or lholtzworth@alachuacounty.us.