Thousands of trees and shrubs have arrived in West Fairmount Park and will soon take root around Fairmount Park Horticulture Center to help restore the forest.
This past week, some 2,000 native trees and shrubs of many varieties – black gum, juneberries, willows, oaks, maples, and sycamores, to name a few – were delivered to Greenland Nursery in West Fairmount Park. Throughout the fall, these trees and shrubs will be planted along the grounds of Fairmount Park Horticulture Center as part of an ongoing forest restoration project.
For years, the 30-acre site had been overgrown with invasive and non-native trees and other plants that provided little to no ecological benefits to the site. After removing the invasive and non-native species in fall 2018, Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation staff harvested and installed live stakes along the Montgomery and Lansdowne creeks that meander along the grounds.
The fall tree and shrub plantings will be the latest step of this important Natural Lands project, to continue the long-term forest restoration and in turn create a more beautiful landscape and healthier environment for wildlife.
Want to learn more and lend a hand? On October 12, join us and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation for a Second Saturday service day at the Horticulture Center. Come explore this peaceful oasis in West Fairmount Park, while helping to preserve Philadelphia’s much needed forests. We’ll spend the morning planting a variety of beneficial trees and shrubs, supporting this long-term forest restoration effort. Register here.
