Volunteers, joined by the City Forester team and the Appleton Parks Department, plant crab apple trees along the Apple Creek Trail May 11, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An Appleton trail will soon be lined with budding apple blossoms.
The Smith family has been planting crab apple trees for the past 10 years after being inspired by a Washington, D.C. cherry blossom festival.
They took the cherry blossom idea and reimagined it for Northeast Wisconsin: Apple blossoms for Appleton.
Previously, the family planted trees in city parks to honor people who died. But right now, their focus is on the Apple Creek Trail.
After last year’s trees and 45 more planted on Thursday, there will be 100 trees along the trail. The hope is to line it from beginning to end with the beautiful buds.
“The trees that we planted last year are blooming, so people already commented on seeing the apple blossoms — and the flowers are really beautiful flowers when they bloom,” explained Michael Smith. “Again, take off from cherry blossom festival in DC. The idea is we’ll have all these apple blossoms, and then when they’re in bloom, people will have a very nice trail to walk through.”
The Smith family has now planted 150 trees throughout the city. They hope to keep planting until Appleton becomes the “Apple Blossom City.”
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