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Contents
- Arbor Week 2025 Recap
- Pollinator Gardens
- Call for Committee on Public Planting Members
- Species Highlight: Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina)
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Forest Foe: Fig buttercup (Ficaria verna)
- Stumped! Cambridge Urban Forestry Treevia
- 2025 Cambridge Rain Barrel Program
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Feeding Your Lawn? Feed It Smart
- Become a Cambridge Urban Forest Friend
- Sign Up for a Free Tree with Green Cambridge
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Arbor Week 2025 Recap
Cambridge celebrated Arbor Week 2025! On Tuesday, Urban Forestry staff, Public Planting Committee members, and Green Cambridge tabled at City Hall. They gave away free native tree seedlings, promoted the Canopy Crew program, and answered your top tree questions. On Wednesday, City Arborist David Lefcourt led a tree walk in the Riverside neighborhood. We viewed the new Shared Street at Fairmont Ave, toured Western Ave to see how the trees are doing several years after reconstruction, and checked out new plantings at Riverside Press Park. On Thursday, Urban Forestry and Public Planting Committee members gave out free seedlings, signed up residents for Forest Friends, and showed off an elm cookie from the Harvard campus. TSKP hosted a wood block printing event and promoted The Community Grafting Project. The annual Arbor Day tree was planted on Monday 5/12 at the Haggerty School! The school chorus performed “Grow, Little Tree” for attendees. 5th graders joined Mayor E. Denise Simmons and Public Works staff in planting a serviceberry tree in front of the school to commemorate Arbor Day 2025.
We hope you enjoyed celebrating Arbor Week with us!
| | Kids and adults visit the elm cookie from Harvard University’s campus | |
Pollinator Gardens
What is all the buzz about pollinator gardens? This special type of planting has received a lot of attention in the last several years. Primarily native plants, pollinator gardens are designed to attract and support pollinating creatures like birds, bees, flies, moths, beetles, butterflies, and caterpillars. Some of these pollinators’ populations are in decline due to habitat loss, climate change, and other issues. Cambridge is already home to over 30 City-maintained pollinator gardens, but we are adding even more to help support pollinators! Residents voted in the Participatory Budget Cycle 11 to allocate $75,000 towards maintenance of existing gardens and creating new pollinator gardens in Cambridge parks. Pollinator gardens use native flowering plants and trees to provide food and habitat for pollinating insects and birds. Some of the best plants to support pollinators are trees! Glacken Field, Tim J. Toomey, Jr. Park, and Flagstaff Park are home to some of the City’s largest existing pollinator gardens. New gardens are planned for Danehy Park, Greene-Rose Heritage Park, and Triangle Park. Other locations are still in the works. Check the Participatory Budget website for updates on this and other PB projects: https://www.cambridgema.gov/participatorybudgeting
| | Bumblebees visit bee balm (Monarda fitulosa) at Glacken Field in Strawberry Hill. | |
Call for Committee on Public Planting Members
Do you want to do more to promote Cambridge’s urban forest? Do you have an interest in landscape design or landscape architecture? Do you want to support plantings in public areas for Cambridge residents? Consider applying to be on Cambridge’s Public Planting Committee! The Committee meets monthly and provides support to Urban Forestry, Parks, and Community Development Department staff to improve the quality and diversity of plantings throughout Cambridge. More information is available on the City website: https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/publicworks/news/2025/04/publicplantingcommitteevacancy
| | CPP members table for Arbor Week 2025. | |
Species Highlight: Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina)
| | Carolina silverbell is a flowering understory tree known for its dainty bell-shaped flowers that bloom in early May. While native to the mid-Atlantic, the tree grows well in Cambridge in parks. This tree grows to around 30ft tall with a spread of 30ft. The numerous flowers attract and provide food for many pollinators. | | One of many Carolina silverbell trees planted with other flowering trees on Aberdeen Ave. | |
Forest Foe: Fig Buttercup (ficaria verna)
| Fig buttercup is a perennial flowering herbaceous plant that is listed as an invasive species by the State of Massachusetts. The yellow flowers are visible beginning in early spring. The flowers and leaves of this plant emerge very early, giving it an advantage over dormant native plants. It can spread quickly forming mats that shade out native plants. It is often found along streams but it has also been found within tree wells in Cambridge. If you spot this plant in your tree well, please remove it carefully, making sure all tubers are removed to prevent further spread. | | Courtesy of Amy Meltzer. Ficaria verna growing at the base of a tree in Inman Square | | Stumped! Urban Forestry Treevia | | |
Learn a fun fact about urban forestry in Cambridge!
The trivia answer will be revealed in next month’s newsletter!
Last month's question was "Which describes all the elements that make up an urban forest? “B - Large canopy trees, understory trees, shrubs, groundcover plantings, and soils."
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| What is another name for the American Hornbeam (Carpinus Caroliniana) Tree? | | | | 2025 Cambridge Rain Barrel Program | | |
DPW is once again partnering with the Great American Rain Barrel Program to offer residents discounted rain barrels at $89 each. These barrels provide an eco-friendly way to collect and store rainwater for use on lawns, gardens, and trees, helping to conserve water and reduce stormwater runoff. Participating in this program is a great way to contribute to water conservation efforts and support the sustainability of our community.
How to Order:
Order Online Here and select "Cambridge" when prompted.
Important Dates:
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Order Deadline: All orders must be placed by Thursday, June 5, 2025.
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Pick-Up Date: Barrels will be available for pick-up on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. All rain barrels must be picked up in the parking lot across from 63 Mooney Street, Cambridge MA on June 17th.
| | Feeding Your Lawn? Feed it smart. | | |
Spring fertilizing can help your lawn—but it can also harm our local waters if overused. Here’s how to stay stormwater-smart this season.
- Test First: Don’t guess—soil test to know what your lawn really needs. You may need less than you think.
- Skip the Storm: Avoid fertilizing before heavy rain. It washes nutrients straight into storm drains.
- Go Slow-Release: If using fertilizer, opt for one that is slow-acting and phosphorus-free (look for “0” as the middle number on the bag).
- Stay on Target: Only fertilize your lawn—never driveways, sidewalks, or streets. Sweep up any stray product!
Nutrients belong in your soil, not your streams.
Let’s Think Blue this spring and keep our waters clean from the ground up.
| Feeding your lawn graphic | | Become a Cambridge Urban Forest Friend | |
We need your help to maintain a healthy, vibrant urban forest! Any Cambridge resident willing to regularly water the tree and provide some general care for the tree is welcome to become a Cambridge Urban Forest Friend.
How to Start
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Questions?
For questions about the Cambridge Urban Forest Friends, please contact Kristen Kelleher, Community Relations Manager at 617-349-4825 / kkelleher@cambridgema.gov.
**Please let us know if you are no longer caring for your street tree and we will remove you from the database and future emails.**
| | Sign up for a free tree from Green Cambridge |
If you have space for a tree on your property, Green Cambridge can plant a free native tree to help expand Cambridge’s urban tree canopy! If you own your home in Cambridge, MA and would like Green Cambridge to plant a tree in your yard for FREE, visit https://www.greencambridge.org/canopycrew
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Thanks for reading!
If you enjoy the Cambridge Urban Forest Friends newsletter, you can spread the word about it with this sign-up link. With more sign-ups, more Cambridge residents can learn about how to best support our environment and communities. | | | | |
