Trees For Houston partnered with Kroger and the Arbor Day Foundation on November 15 to bring 1,000 free native and fruit trees to residents of Houston’s historic Second Ward, strengthening the neighborhood’s growing urban canopy and encouraging long-term environmental stewardship. Throughout the morning, neighbors lined up at the Kroger on Polk Street to choose from a selection of species, including Texas Red Oak and Brown Turkey Fig, to plant in their own yards.

Kroger volunteers worked alongside Trees For Houston staff to assist attendees, moving trees from the distribution area to shopping carts and ensuring the process was smooth, efficient, and accessible. The giveaway served as both a community event and an educational opportunity, highlighting the importance of trees in urban environments.

Urban trees offer significant benefits—from improving air and water quality to reducing heat levels in dense neighborhoods. They help filter pollutants, mitigate stormwater runoff, support physical and mental wellbeing, and contribute to safer, more connected communities. The event underscored how planting trees can strengthen neighborhood pride and create healthier spaces for future generations.

The distribution reflects the shared missions of the organizations involved. Trees For Houston, which has planted more than 800,000 trees across southeast Texas since 1983, focuses on planting, protecting, and promoting trees throughout Greater Houston. Kroger’s Texas Division, operating more than 210 stores across Texas and Louisiana, continues its commitment to building #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. The Arbor Day Foundation, a global nonprofit with more than 1 million supporters, has spent more than five decades inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees, contributing to the planting of over half a billion trees worldwide.