Residents of the Village of Homewood and Flossmoor can help make a difference in their community by participating in the tree planting program this fall. 

The Homewood Treeshare Program will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 8 a.m. to noon in the village hall parking lot at 2024 Chestnut Road. 

According to a press release, residents will have a variety of beautiful native trees to choose from, each at a differing cost. 

Tree species available include: 

• Pagoda Dogwood ($60).
• Forest Pansy Redbud ($60). 
• Shumard Oak ($70).
• Cucumber Melon ($30). 
• Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry ($70). 
• Flame Thrower Redbud ($60).
• Ohio Buckeye ($70).

“We want to keep nice trees and a forested atmosphere in a nice community that people want to move into,” Homewood Arborist Bryon Doerr said, adding, “you see the new houses with cornfield subdivisions with no trees and it’s just a bunch of big houses on a road, and that’s not the look that Homewood wants.” 

In order to promote trees, the village also has a replacement program on private property where people can request trees from the tree sale. They can put them on their property wherever they want at no cost to them, as long as they have the right soil type for the tree, Doerr said. 

“We are a tree city,” Doerr said, adding, “a lot of people don’t know that we are an accredited arboretum. We are arboretum level one; we’re working on trying to get to level two.”

According to Doerr, the village also received a Society of Municipal Arborists accreditation, which is very rare. Only about 60 cities across the nation have that, he said. 

For more information, contact Homewood Public Works at 708-206-3470.

Flossmoor also will be holding its Parkway Tree Program this month. 

According to a press release, residents can request trees free of charge by filling out an online or downloadable form. The deadline for requesting trees is Monday, Sept. 15.  

Available tree species include: 

• Ironwood
• Wafer Ash
• Pecan
• Northern Catalpa
• Kentucky Coffee Tree
• Aspen
• Black Cherry

A stake will be placed in the parkway for each tree that is approved to mark its location. Residents must commit to watering their tree with 15 gallons of water weekly for a minimum of two to three years, the press release said. 

Flossmoor promotes tree planting in an effort to replace trees that were lost over time due to poor condition or death, Flossmoor Arborist Dave Becker said. 

“The village’s annual tree plantings will help sustain and increase Flossmoor’s  tree canopy for future generations,” Becker said. 

They also provide tree care information on the Village of Flossmoor’s website to assist residents with watering and caring for their trees, he said. 

“The residents only need to water and mulch trees when necessary. The village performs all other tree care, including pruning,” Becker said. 

• Flossmoor online Tree Planting Application
• Downloadable application form 
• Tree planting photos, list and description 

For more information, contact Flossmoor Public Works at 708-957-4100.