Celebrating Earth Day Planting Trees in New Port Richey

Published on April 22, 2025

On Tuesday, April 15th, four members of New Port Richey Public Works and New Port Richey FarmNet joined efforts to plant new trees downtown. Two Barbados Cherry trees were planted at the Fruit Tree Peninsula - a pocket park at the end of Main Street, at the fork where Main, Nebraska, and Old Main converge. 

The Fruit Tree Peninsula was created in 2018 and is devoted to local fruit trees that thrive in New Port Richey's warm climate. This area is a public produce demonstration project of the environmental committee, Public Works, and New Port Richey FarmNet. The trees were generously donated by the Rotary Club of New Port Richey. 

Along with the addition of two new trees, a local native wildflower bed is also being restored, and volunteers are welcome to assist with maintaining the flower bed. For volunteer opportunities, please contact Dell deChant at ddechant@tampbay.rr.com. 

The Barbados Cherry tree goes by many names. It is also known as the acerola tree, garden cherry, West Indies cherry, Spanish cherry, and fresh cherry, to name a few. It is a large, bushy shrub or small tree that can reach to 12-feet high, and it is well-known for the thick, bright green leaves it produces. Small, pink flowers also bloom from spring to fall and flourish after rainfall. 

New Port Richey is a designated 'tree city' in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA Program. To learn more about how to get involved, and to discover the City's Adopt-a-Tree program, visit www.cityofnewportrichey.org/Departments/Public-Works/Public-Works-Programs. 

Photo (left to right): Marty Field, Logan Blanton, Colin Eichenmuller, and Dell deChant.