For immediate release;  April 6, 2026Contact:  Office of the City Manager                  352-728-9786 ext. 1100                  [email protected] Leesburg will give away trees for Arbor Day            LEESBURG, FL - The City of Leesburg will celebrate Arbor Day this year with a tree giveaway. In partnership with Cherrylake, Inc. and Leesburg in Bloom, the city will distribute 250 1-gallon bald cypress trees to residents. The event will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at Ski Beach Park, 201 Lake Harris Drive, Leesburg, from 9am to 12pm or until the trees are gone.              Residents can enter the park at the main gate and proceed to the cul-de-sac on the south end near the volleyball courts for drive-thru service. The trees will be given away on a first come, first served basis, with a limit of one tree per vehicle. Trees cannot be reserved.            The bald cypress is native to Florida and frequently reaches heights of 40-50 feet in 15 to 25 years. It is a fast-growing deciduous conifer, which means it will lose its leaves in the fall after the foliage changes to an orange-red color. The trees are low maintenance and are highly adaptable, thriving in wet, swampy areas or well-drained, dry landscapes, particularly in USDA Zones 5–10.             The City of Leesburg is a 24-year member of Tree City USA, an Arbor Day Foundation Program that helps communities demonstrate and  promote their commitment to a greener place to call home. The tree giveaway will support the city’s goal of achieving 25 years of Tree City USA certification.            For more information on this event, contact the Leesburg Public Works Department at 352-435-9442.(Bald Cypress photos courtesy of Cherrylake, Inc.)     Leesburg is a progressive city of more than 33,000 residents in northwest Lake County. The city government serves twice as many people with its electric, gas, water and wastewater public utilities. Leesburg is also a central hub for commerce, attracting 50,000 people to work each weekday. For more information, visit www.leesburgflorida.gov. ###