Rooted in Laramie looks to grow Laramie’s community forest during annual planting on June 3rd

The grip of winter is still holding strong, but it is never too  early to start planning for new additions to your landscape. And Rooted in Laramie is here to  help make those tree choices easier and more affordable.  

The local nonprofit is pleased to announce its annual tree sale will begin on March 1, with trees  costing just $50, a deeply discounted rate. The highly anticipated annual online sale will feature  a wide variety of Laramie-tested species as well as some cultivars new to the region. 

“The trees sell out really quickly every year, ” says Hilery Lindmier, Rooted in Laramie board  chair. “We are bringing back some favorites from prior years, like the Hot Wings Tatarian  Maple, but are looking forward to offering up some new kinds of trees as well. We enjoy the  experimentation aspect to Rooted in Laramie and are always hopeful to find more alternatives  to Laramie’s standby, the Cottonwood.” 

This year’s sale features 17 different varieties that should suit most home landscapes. Laramie tested, large choices include the Hackberry and Imperial and Street Keeper honeylocusts. Other shade tree options that are Dutch Elm disease-resistant are the Accolade, Northern Empress  and Triumph elms. If looking for spring flowers, the Spring Snow and Thunderchild crabapples  are great selections, as well as the Toba Hawthorn. For a slightly larger tree but still ornamental in show, the Sucker Punch Chokecherry, ‘Autumn Brillance’ Serviceberry and Swedish  Whitebeam are available. 

“Most of these trees have shown that the species can survive and grow after planting in  challenging locations in Laramie,” says Randy Overstreet, Laramie City Arborist and Rooted in  Laramie board member. “The hardiest tree species we’ve planted are chokecherries. Elm,  honeylocust and hackberry trees are larger size trees at maturity, and they are being offered to complement or replace overmature cottonwood trees to continue to provide greater canopy  shade areas.” 

This year’s Shawver Tree, sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Laramie, is the beloved Hot Wings  Tatarian Maple. 

Something new this year is the introduction of the fruit-bearing varieties Honeycrisp and Sweet  Sixteen apples and Evans Bali and Montmorency cherries.  

“We want to establish fruit producing trees, to use as a food source for people,” adds  Overstreet. 

The 60 trees featured in this year’s sale will be planted by teams of volunteers on Saturday,  June 3. Rooted in Laramie is also seeking volunteers who would like to join in on the fun and  gain hands-on tree-planting experience. 

“Planting day is a fun morning of getting your hands dirty and connecting with the community,”  says Lindmier. “It’s also a great chance to chat with people about trees and tree care while  enjoying the outdoors.” 

No prior experience in tree planting is necessary as each crew will be led by someone with  plenty of planting knowledge. They will show volunteers how wide and deep to dig holes, how  to deal with issues like root-binding and how to properly stake and mulch the tree. 

“If someone has never dug a hole before they shouldn’t worry,” adds Lindmier. “This is a great  opportunity to learn from experienced gardeners so you can return home and better nurture  your own trees or successfully plant something new.” 

Rooted in Laramie is supported by grants from local and statewide organizations, including the  Laramie Rivers Conservation District, City of Laramie, Rotary Clubs of Laramie’s Shawver Tree  Fund and Wyoming State Forestry Division. During the spring, Rooted in Laramie matches  applicants with the right trees for their planting sites and all the trees are planted on a single  day by volunteers. In-kind and volunteer support is provided by Laramie Woman’s Club, Tiger  Tree, Let ‘R Buck Landscaping, King’s Snow and Landscape and Wyoming Trees. Last year more  than 50 volunteers from throughout the community pitched in to help the get the trees in the  ground. 

The volunteer-based organization was founded in 2019, and this year will reach more than 350  trees planted across the city. The nonprofit’s mission is to develop a long-term tree planting  program that supports a diverse and resilient community forest and engages citizens through  volunteerism and education about proper planting and care of trees. 

To purchase your tree for only $50, visit Rooted in Laramie’s website at  

www.rootedinlaramie.org. Beyond the planting date, Rooted in Laramie welcomes any 

volunteers to help as board members or to serve on committees. A volunteer application is  available on their website as well as the opportunity to financially support their efforts.  For more information, visit their website, email RootedInLaramie@gmail.com, call 307-742- 6076 or visit them on Facebook or Instagram @RootedInLaramie.