Arbor Day Fact Sheet

Arbor Day Fact Sheet

Arbor Day Fact Sheet

December 5, 2025 (R48749)
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Contents

Introduction

History

Early Advocates

Celebrations

Arbor Day Foundation and Tree City USA

Legislation

Related Research Reports

Selected Congressional Speeches and Recognitions

Presidential Proclamations

Government Resources

Nongovernment Resources

Tables

Table 1. Arbor Day Celebration by State

Summary

Arbor Day is a civic holiday observed in all 50 states. In the United States, it is celebrated as National Arbor Day on the last Friday in April, although some states observe it on other dates, depending on the local planting climate.

This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to National Arbor Day and celebrations of Arbor Day. It contains a brief history, legislation, sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential proclamations and remarks, and selected governmental and nongovernmental resources.

Introduction

Arbor Day is a civic holiday observed in all 50 states and many other countries around the world. In the United States, it is celebrated as National Arbor Day on the last Friday in April, although some states observe it on other dates, depending on the local planting climate.¹

This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to National Arbor Day and celebrations of Arbor Day. It contains a brief history, legislation, sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential proclamations and remarks, and selected governmental and nongovernmental resources.

History

Arbor Day was first observed on April 10, 1872,² when Sterling Morton put forward a Nebraska state resolution to designate a day for planting trees and offered a prize for the person who planted the most trees.³ Over 1 million trees were planted.⁴ Nebraska was the first state to established Arbor Day as a state holiday in 1885, held annually on April 22 in honor of Morton's birthday.⁵ The holiday spread through other states, starting with Kansas, Tennessee, Minnesota, and Ohio,⁶ and by 1978⁷ all 50 states officially celebrated Arbor Day.

While Arbor Day is not a federal holiday, President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day in 1972,⁸ on the centennial anniversary. However, not every state celebrates on the official day, depending on local climates and planting seasons.⁹

Table 1. Arbor Day Celebration, by State

State

Date

Citation

Alabama

Last full week of Februarya

1975 Ala. Laws 249

Alaska

Third Monday in May

Alaska Stat. §41.15.900

Arizona

Last Friday in April

Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §1-304

Arkansas

Third Monday in March

Ark. Code Ann. §1-5-106(5)

California

March 7

Cal. Gov't. Code §6710

Colorado

Third Friday in April

Colo. Rev. Stat. §24-11-104

Connecticut

Last Friday in April

Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-29a(3)

Delaware

Last Friday in April

Del. Code Ann. tit. I, §601

Florida

Third Friday in January

Fla. Stat. §683.04

Georgia

Third Friday in February

1941 Ga. Laws 350 b

Hawai'i

First Friday in November

Haw. Rev. Stat. §8-7

Idaho

A day during the month of April

Idaho Code §33-160

Illinois

Last Friday in April

5 Ill. Comp. Stat. 490/10

Indiana

Last Friday in April

Ind. Code §20-30-3-1

Iowa

Last Friday in April

Iowa Code §1C.10

Kansas

Last Friday in April

Kansas Stat. Ann. §35-204

Kentucky

As designated

1885 vol. I 266c

Louisiana

Third Friday in January

La. Stat. Ann §1:57

Maine

Third full week of Mayd

Me. Stat. tit. 1, §111-A

Maryland

First Wednesday in April

1967 Md. Laws 517

Massachusetts

Last Friday in April

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, §15e

Michigan

Last Friday in April

Mich. Comp. Laws §435.171f

Minnesota

Last Friday in April

1965 Minn. Laws 571

Mississippi

Second Friday in February

2009 Miss. Laws 2227

Missouri

First Friday in April

Mo. Rev. Stat. §9.100

Montana

Last Friday in April

Mont. Code Ann. §20-1-206(1)(c)

Nebraska

Last Friday in April

Neb. Rev. Stat. §62-301(1)

Nevada

Last Friday in April

Nev. Rev. Stat. §236.018

New Hampshire

Last Friday in April

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §227-1:3(II)

New Jersey

Last Friday in April

N.J. Stat. Ann. §18A:36-7

New Mexico

Second Friday in March

N.M. Stat. Ann. §12-5-1

New York

Last Friday in April

N.Y. Env't Conserv. §1-0303(23)

North Carolina

First Friday after March 15

1981 N.C. Sess. Laws 510

North Dakota

First Friday in May

N.D. Cent. Code §1-03-07

Ohio

Last Friday in April

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §5.22

Oklahoma

Friday following the second Monday in February

Okla. Stat. tit. 70, §24-107

Oregon

Month of Aprilg

See end notes.

Pennsylvania

Last Friday in April

44 Pa. Code §19.2

Rhode Island

Last Friday in April

R.I. Gen. Laws §25-2-30

South Carolina

First Friday in December

S.C. Code Ann. §53-3-10

South Dakota

Last Friday in April

S.D. Codified Laws §1-5-10

Tennessee

First Friday in Marchh

1947 Tenn. Pub. Acts 412i

Texas

First Friday in November

Tex. Gov't Code Ann. §662.057

Utah

Last Friday in Aprilj

See end notes.

Vermont

First Friday in May

Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 1, §372

Virginia

Last Friday in April

Va. Code Ann. §2.2-3306

Washington

Second Wednesday in April

Wash. Rev. Code §1.20.020

West Virginia

Second Friday in April

1955-1956 W. Va. Acts 564

Wisconsin

Last Friday in April

Wis. Stat. §118.02

Wyoming

Last Monday in April

Wyo. Stat. Ann. §8-4-102

Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

a. Celebrated as Arbor Week.

b. Celebrated as Arbor and Bird Day.

c. "The Governor be, and is hereby, requested to call to the attention of the people of this State to the importance of planting trees ... to be known and designated as 'Arbor Day.'" Different dates are designated depending on city or county.

d. Celebrated as Arbor Week.

e. Celebrated as Arbor and Bird Day.

f. As designated by the governor. As of 2020, the governor has traditionally declared the last week of April as Arbor Week and the last Friday in April as Arbor Day.

g. Or. Rev. Stat. § 336.015 was repealed in 2012, since 2020, Oregon's Governor or State Forester has proclaimed the entire month of April as Oregon Arbor Month: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/forestbenefits/Documents/arbor-month-fact-sheet-2022.pdf.

h. Celebrated as Bird, Flower, and Arbor Day.

i. Originally celebrated in April, however, 1947 Tenn. Pub. Acts 412 repealed Title 7, Chapter 2, §2501 2501, striking April for March.

j. 1981 Utah Laws 1220 eliminated Arbor Day as a legal holiday; however, it is celebrated annually on the last Friday in April: https://ffsl.utah.gov/forestry/urban-and-community-forestry/arbor-day/.

Early Advocates

Sterling Morton moved to Nebraska in 1855, where he edited the Nebraska City News and took an avid interest in agriculture, which led him to planting trees to serve as windbreaks and provide lumber and shade.¹⁰ He served in the Nebraska territorial legislature and as Secretary of the Nebraska territory.¹¹ President Grover Cleveland appointed Morton as Secretary of Agriculture from 1893 to 1897.¹² In 1937, Nebraska donated a bronze statue of Morton to the National Statuary Hall Collection (replaced in 2023 by the statue of Willa Cather).¹³ His home was donated in 1923 and is now the Arbor Lodge State Historic Park.¹⁴

Another early proponent of Arbor Day was Dr. Birdsey G. Northrup. He traveled across the country and globally to encourage the planting of trees and village beautification projects.¹⁵ Northrup was also an advocate for children's involvement with Arbor Day celebrations—he even offered cash incentives for children to plant trees in 1876.¹⁶ Northrup viewed economic tree-planting and school celebrations of Arbor Day as different in scope and did not think Arbor Day should become a legal holiday except in Nebraska.¹⁷

Celebrations

Morton wrote that "other holidays repose upon the past—Arbor Day proposes for the future."¹⁸ Arbor Day is frequently celebrated in schools and youth-focused civic groups. These celebrations began in 1882, when a Cincinnati superintendent closed its public schools¹⁹ and created a program for children to celebrate with tree planting, parades, reading poems, hymns, and speeches. The National Forestry Association and the National Education Association adopted resolutions in 1883 and 1885, respectively, advocating for active involvement of schools and schoolchildren in the observation of Arbor Day.²⁰ On April 15, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt penned an "Arbor Day Letter to the School Children of the United States."²¹

Arbor Day trees are frequently planted in memory of key figures or as memorials, including on Capital grounds.²² A Juglans nigra (Eastern Black Walnut) tree was planted at the Capitol in 1932 to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sterling Morton,²³ and the Arbor Lodge Association of Nebraska City planted a Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair) tree in 1967.²⁴

Arbor Day Foundation and Tree City USA

The Arbor Day Foundation was established in 1972 by John Rosenow on the centennial of the first Arbor Day.²⁵ It has planted over 500 million trees²⁶ since its inception. In association with the National Association of State Foresters and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service,²⁷ the Arbor Day Foundation has sponsored the Tree City USA program—a national program to recognize communities committed to trees and forests. To become a designated Tree City USA, cities must meet four standards:²⁸ they must have (1) a community tree board or department, (2) a public tree care ordinance, (3) an annual expenditure of $2 per capita on community tree care activities, and (4) an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. Over 3,500communities have been recognized as Tree City USA.²⁹

Legislation

Below is a list of selected proposed legislation and resolutions concerning Arbor Day:

H.R. 2477—Urban Forests Act of 2021—would have in part established a grant program known as the Tree City USA Grant Program

S.J.Res. 14 (2013) —would have amended title 36, United States Code, to designate the last Friday in April as Arbor Day

H.R. 1357 and H.R. 3832 (1977)—would have prevented the unauthorized manufacture and use of the name and symbol "Tree City, USA"

Resolutions (1970-1994) to authorize the President to declare specific days as "National Arbor Day" each year.

Resolutions (2012-2024) celebrating the anniversary of Arbor Day

Related Research Reports

CRS Report R48065, Congressional Recognition of Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months: Background and Current Practice, by Jacob R. Straus.

Selected Congressional Speeches and Recognitions

Members of Congress often speak on the floor or enter Extensions of Remarks into the Congressional Record on or around Arbor Day, including

recognizing National Arbor Day and the anniversary of Arbor Day,

recognizing Tree City USA designations and Arbor Day celebrations in their districts, and

offering tributes to individual constituents involved with Arbor Day.

Presidential Proclamations

Presidential proclamations and statements have been issued since the early days of Arbor Day, including the following:

Warren G. Harding, "Proclamation 1624—Forest Protection Week and Golden Anniversary of Arbor Day" (March 31, 1922).

Harry S. Truman, "Statement by the President: The Diamond Anniversary of Arbor Day" (April 10, 1947).

Richard Nixon, "Proclamation 4126—National Arbor Day" (April 24, 1972).

Additional presidential statements and proclamations related to Arbor Day are available through the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.³⁰

Government Resources

The Library of Congress has a variety of resources on Arbor Day, including books, newspaper articles, photographs, and school celebrations.

Urban and Community Forestry Program – United State Forest Service

Arbor Lodge State Historical Park – Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

Nongovernment Resources

Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation partners with several programs, including Tree City USA, Alliance for Community Trees, Tree Campus Higher Education, Tree Campus K-12, and Natural Disaster Recovery.

Footnotes

1.

Arbor Day Foundation, "Arbor Day Around the Globe," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/globe.

2.

Arbor Day Foundation, "History of Arbor Day," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/history.

3.

Jane M. Hatch, "Arbor Day," in The American Book of Days (The H.W. Wilson Company, 1978), p. 367.

4.

Jessica Damiano, "Oaks Excel at Supporting the Food Web (Including Us). Arbor Day is a Good Time to Plant One," AP, April 22, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/arbor-day-oak-trees-gardening-2ada64ce9544f2ac510d2297e3695092.

5.

Hatch, "Arbor Day," p. 367.

6.

Robert J. Myers, "Arbor Day," in Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays (Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1972), p. 119.

7.

Hatch, "Arbor Day," p. 368.

8.

U.S. President (Richard Nixon), "Proclamation 4126—National Arbor Day (April 24, 1972)," The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-4126-national-arbor-day.

9.

Arbor Day Foundation, "Arbor Day Around the Globe," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/globe.

10.

Hatch, "Arbor Day," p. 367.

11.

Architect of the Capitol, "Julius Sterling Morton," accessed July 28, 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20201230003720/https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/julius-sterling-morton.

12.

Hatch, "Arbor Day," p. 367.

13.

U.S. Government Printing Office, "Acceptance of the statues of J. Sterling Morton and William Jennings Bryan. Presented by the State of Nebraska," Proceedings in the Congress and in the Rotunda, United States Capitol., 75th Cong., 1st sess., Senate Document No. 73.

14.

Nebraska Game and Parks, "Arbor Lodge State Historical Park," accessed July 28, 2025, https://outdoornebraska.gov/location/arbor-lodge/.

15.

Hatch, "Arbor Day," p. 368.

16.

Myers, "Arbor Day," p. 119.

17.

Birdsey Northrup, "Arbor Day in Schools," in Arbor Day: Its History, Observance, Spirit and Significance: With Practical Selections on Tree-planting and Conservation, and A Nature Anthology, ed. Robert H. Schauffler (Omnigraphics, 1990), pp. 13-14.

18.

Myers, "Arbor Day," p. 117.

19.

Hatch, "Arbor Day," p. 368.

20.

Hatch, "Arbor Day," p. 368.

21.

Robert Haven Schauffler (ed.), Arbor Day: It's History, Observance, Spirit and Significance; With Practical Selections on Tree-Planting and Conservation, and a Nature Anthology (Omnigraphics, 1990), pp. v-vi.

22.

Architect of the Capitol, "Trees on the U.S. Capitol Grounds," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/features/trees.

23.

Architect of the Capitol, "Arbor Day Founder Tree," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/features/arbor-day-founder-tree.

24.

Architect of the Capitol, "Arbor Lodge Association of Nebraska City Tree," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/features/arbor-lodge-association-nebraska-city-tree.

25.

National Association of State Foresters, "John Rosenow, the founder of the Arbor Day Foundation, announces transition to retirement," press release, January 16, 2014, https://www.stateforesters.org/2014/01/16/john-rosenow-the-founder-of-the-arbor-day-foundation-announces-transition-to-retirement/.

26.

Arbor Day Foundation, "Home," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.arborday.org/.

27.

National Association of State Foresters, "How Your Community can Apply to be a Tree City USA," April 26, 2016, https://www.stateforesters.org/2016/04/26/how-your-community-can-apply-to-be-a-tree-city-usa/.

28.

Arbor Day Foundation, "Tree City USA Standards," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.arborday.org/our-work/tree-city-usa/standards.

29.

Arbor Day Foundation, "Tree City USA," accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.arborday.org/our-work/tree-city-usa.

30.

The American Presidency Project, hosted by the University of California, Santa Barbara, offers browsing and searching of many presidential documents at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu.