HOUSTON — Hurricane Harvey not only wiped out homes and businesses, it also destroyed thousands of Houston-area trees. One group is working to replace them, but it’s something that could take years to do.
“We’ve probably planted half a million trees over the years,” said Trees For Houston Executive Director Barry Ward.
The group was founded after Hurricane Alicia in 1983 and it's working harder than ever after Harvey.
“We grow thousands of trees for distribution at low or no cost through the greater Houston area,” said Ward.
Harvey either washed away, flooded, or left scores of trees buried in sediment. And, more than a year after the flood, many are still slowly dying.
“Trees are huge living structures and they store a lot of energy in their tissues and roots,” said Ward. “So, it takes years for them to completely die.”
Replacement trees have come from about six Trees For Houston farms like the one we visited in Bellaire.
Hundreds were recently planted along Buffalo and White Oak Bayous. And they’re species that are resilient, environmentally friendly and native to the area.
“Similar efforts will be needed throughout the city along all of the waterways,” said Ward. “Thousands and thousands of trees will need to be replaced in the next few years.”
Ward said Harvey’s record rainfall, in some ways, was more detrimental to trees than a severe drought.
Find out more about Trees For Houston here on their website.