National Arbor Day in the USA Date in the current year: April 26, 2024

Arbor Day was founded by Julius Sterling Morton, a Nebraska newspaper editor, agriculturalist and statesman. Morton was a respected agriculturalist fascinated with trees, he planted numerous trees on his estate. Currently, his former mansion and estate serve as Arbor Lodge State Historical Park.

Morton came up with the idea of celebrating Arbor Day in the early 1870s. The first celebration was held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872. Its participants planted an estimated one million trees throughout the state. By the 1920s, each state had passed laws that stipulated a certain day to be state Arbor Day. In some states, the holiday was named Arbor and Bird Day. In Nebraska, Arbor Day is a civic holiday.

National Arbor Day in the United States was established as a state holiday in 1885. It was moved from April 10 (its original date proposed by Morton) to April 22 (Morton's birthday). In 1989, the holiday was moved to the last Friday in April. On this day, Americans are encouraged to plant trees, bushes and plants (if weather conditions allow) and care for their national environment.