One Million Trees Initiative | Trees Atlanta

The One Million Trees Initiative is an exciting collaboration of 10 metro Atlanta cities and 10 Atlanta-based nonprofits working together to fight local climate change and environmental stresses from urban growth.

With combined efforts, our goal is to plant and save one million trees across metro Atlanta by 2030.

The one million count will include trees planted on city land, for public projects, preserved in forested areas, and installed by individuals on private property, such as residential yards and businesses.

Photo by Curbed Atlanta

How can you help us reach one million trees?

Plant trees:

Organize community projects
Encourage planting projects in city-owned properties like parks and greenways
Support public project plantings like those at affordable housing, municipal sites, and schools
Emphasize private projects like planting in yards, businesses, and parking lots

Save trees:

Identify and purchase forests for preservation
Support allocation of public funds for the purchase of forests
Place private land into conservation easements

Feel inspired:

Get involved by personally planting, protecting, and caring for trees
Volunteer in the community to plant and care for trees

“One million new trees in metro Atlanta would capture 1.4 billion gallons of water and 530,000 tons of CO2 every year— reducing stormwater runoff, improving water quality, reducing rates of asthma and heat-related illnesses, and improving air quality.” - Matt Westmoreland, Post 2 At-Large Councilmember,
Atlanta City Council

Meet the nonprofit partners of the
One Million Trees Initiative:

Meet the city partners of the
One Million Trees Initiative:

We are proud to have the City of Atlanta as our first city partner to join the One Million Trees Initiative. We are also proud to welcome the City of Hapeville as a partner. The initiative will welcome ten metro Atlanta cities (or counties) to the partnership in total.

Interested in becoming a partner in the
One Million Trees Initiative or have questions?

Please send questions and inquiries to Judy Yi, Director of Outreach and Marketing, by email at judy@treesatlanta.org or at 404-609-3373.

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1. Magnolia Collection

Magnolias are part of an ancient lineage of flowering plants dating back approximately 95 million years. The Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum is home to 18 types of magnolias from evergreen to flowering. Two magnolias in particular have witnessed history as they were planted just beyond the outfield wall for the former Ponce de Leon Park, where the Atlanta Crackers played baseball. Babe Ruth and Eddie Matthews both hit home runs that were caught in the canopy of one of these magnolia trees. As part of Arboretum experimentation, we have taken cuttings from these historic magnolias and grown them into new trees so that this piece of history can live on the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum and in new parks and baseball fields around Atlanta.

2. 33 Oaks

The oak trees on this slope and throughout the Arboretum represent many ecosystems in Georgia, from bottomland hardwood swamps to granite outcrops. Of the approximately 90 species of oaks native to the United States, 33 are native to Georgia. All 33 oaks are growing on this slope and between them dance 33 stainless steel leaf sculptures – one for each tree.

These metal oaks were designed and crafted by David Landis of Landis Sculpture Studio. Learn more about David’s work here.

3. Beech Circle

Among the stateliest of our native trees, beeches are indicative of a mature forest. Though they can take around 40 years to produce a large quantity of nuts, beech trees are critical for wildlife. Beeches provide food and shelter for all kinds of birds and mammals, such as the red-headed woodpecker. Dubbed the fairy ring, the circle of beech trees here surrounds a granite outdoor classroom and gathering place where you can contemplate how the beech trees will look in 3, 5, and 10 years!

4. Eastside Azalea Collection

Despite the native azalea holding the title of Georgia’s State Wildflower, it is underused in the landscape. The Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum is now home to the largest public native azalea collection in the Atlanta Area with over 300 azaleas on display. The collection highlights over 25 species, cultivars, and varieties, and is home to all 13 azaleas native to the state of Georgia. This collection focuses on named cultivars (varieties that have been selected for depending on color, size, bloom time, etc.) within two series called the Georgia Moon Series and the Sunrise to Sunset Series. The Georgia Moon Series will have fragrant white-blooming Georgia native species, and the Sunrise to Sunset Series will be comprised of Georgia native species in warm orange, reds, and soft yellows blooming from March – July.

5. Stumpery Garden

This stumpery garden will be a horticultural oddity, serving as a public place for learning and exploration and demonstrating how trees can be utilized in a beautiful way. Stumpery gardens utilize dead, fallen, and storm-damaged trees as an asset to the garden – providing critical habitat for beetles, frogs, birds, and small mammals such as chipmunks. Whole logs are placed upside down to display their root structure, and logs, branches, and pieces of bark are arranged to form walls and archways. Plants such as ferns, lichen, mosses, soft grasses, and trailing plants are encouraged to grow on and around them.

Take a virtual tour of the Stumpery Garden here.

6. Westside Azalea Collection

Different from the Eastside collection, the Westside collection has all straight species and natural varieties that encourage free hybridization. These azaleas are all grown from seed so there are many variations in the hues even between the same species.

7. Persimmon Woods

Home to the largest American persimmon tree in the state of Georgia, this remnant old growth forest on 1.3 acres provides habitat to a variety of deep forest flora. Walking through a nature trail and over a few bridges will bring you up close and personal with woodland groundcovers, rare spring ephemerals (plants with a short life cycle) such as trillium, and a large collection of native woody species. Enjoy the seasonal blooms, learn from plant identification signs, and get hands-on with volunteer opportunities to plant, divide woodland perennials, and collect seed.

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