Celebrating more than 50 years of planting trees in McLean

about us

Photo: Haycock Longfellow Park, Kristin Dubelier

We work to preserve and restore McLean’s urban forest.

Our mission is to spotlight the vital role native trees play in our local ecosystem and make McLean a more livable community by planting, maintaining and preserving trees.

MTF at a Glance

Read more about what we’ve accomplished over the years!

Featured
2025: A Year of Growth
2025: A Year of Growth

For the McLean Trees Foundation, 2025 was a remarkable year defined by growth, generosity, and deepening community roots. Fueled by dedicated volunteers and expanding local support, MTF achieved its most productive year yet.

2024 at a glance
2023 at a glance
2022 at a glance

Let’s Plant Some Trees

McLean Trees Foundation creates opportunities to plant more trees in our community through our Neighborhood Tree Programs, Tree Sponsorship Program and through volunteer events.

Whether you have time, money or space available to help, MTF has a program to get you involved in beautifying our community and supporting our local ecosystem by planting trees!

 
 

Volunteer With MTF

Get Your Hands Dirty!

You can help MTF plant more trees in McLean by donating your time to one of our volunteer events.

learn how
 

Tree Planting Programs

 

Tree Champions Program

Plant trees in your neighborhood! Find out how MTF can help.

learn how

Neighborhood Trees Program

MTF can help homeowners plant native trees on their property.

Learn How

Tree Sponsorship Program

Honor someone with a native tree in a public space in McLean.

learn how

Tree Grants for Faith Communities

Eligible faith communities may apply to MTF plant trees on their property.

Learn How

Tree Planting Map

The map below is a visual record of all of MTF’s tree plantings. Click an individual marker to learn more about the location and type of tree(s) planted. You can also expand the map to view a larger version.

Learn more about our tree planting programs and find out how you can help add more trees to our map!

 

Map Key

 
learn how to plant a tree with mtf

Why native trees?

“Trees of all sizes contribute immensely to the structural beauty, functionality, and habitat value of a garden.” 

Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy, The Living Landscape

Photo: Red Buckeye

more about native trees
 

But trees grow sooo slowly…

That’s true. But did you know that trees are workhorses for the environment from the moment they sprout and for decades into the future? Learn more about the incredible power of trees by clicking below.

Photo: White Oak, Joyce Harris

why trees are awesome

FOLLOW us ON INSTAGRAM @MCLEANTREES

Spring has sprung in McLean Central Park and our faithful volunteers were ever so eager to get out and soak up the rays! We continued our quest to clear the area adjacent to the creek bed—bit by bit, we are getting it done and hope to have it
Thanks to Temple Rodef Shalom for hosting another terrific invasive management event in its neighboring Haycock Longfellow Park on Sunday afternoon! We had a good turnout and, with the addition of IMA site leaders from MTF, participants were able to
This morning turned out to be fabulously sunny and warm and we had a nice bunch of volunteers show up to work in McLean Central Park as we continue to clear the invasive brush around the creek bed and pull English Ivy and Winter creeper along the mai
The rain had FINALLY stopped on Saturday morning and our fine MTF volunteers were in search of a little bit of fresh air and vitamin D, as they continued their quest to rid McLean Central Park of porcelain berry, bush honeysuckle, orientalist bitter
Every week with our wonderful volunteers is a fresh and exciting adventure! We had a great turnout in McLean Central Park this morning—the sun was out, the weather was warm and our volunteers were working hard to clear the invasives! You neve
The snow had started to slowly melt away and the temperatures were rising and our volunteers were raring to go on Saturday, after spending WAY too many weeks away from their beloved McLean Central Park—they were ready to give those invasives a
This MTF Board Member/IMA site leader, overcome with cabin fever, decided to venture out into Greenway Heights Park today despite the icy snow pack, carefully sliding into the woods and discovering there is a great advantage to hunting for invasives
MTF Board Members, who double as FCPA Invasive Management Area site leaders and volunteers, gathered on Saturday with other IMA site leaders and FCPA personnel to celebrate IMA’s 20th anniversary and recognize the collective accomplishments of
We are so thankful for the support we get from the Fairfax County Invasive Management Area (IMA) staff! When we discovered dozens of Trees of Heaven in Greenway Heights Park last summer, we placed an urgent call to the IMA staff to assist with eradi
Our MTF tree-hugging volunteers showed up in force today in McLean Central Park and they weren’t just good—they were EXCELLENT! The English Ivy, multiflora rose and Japanese honeysuckle took a one-two punch as these volunteers of all age
Happy Holidays McLean residents! Are you looking for a unique holiday gift for your tree-loving friend or the relative who has everything? Look no further— McLean Trees Foundation has you covered! Check out our bio page for information about
McLean WINTERFEST was back and better than ever, and our flamboyant MTF volunteers never miss an opportunity to dress up and show off our GREEN🌳! Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy the festivities and wave to us along the parade route (especia
MTF logged about 1300 volunteer hours and planted almost 500 native trees and saplings this year in McLean parks, schools and residential properties and we can confirm this old adage is DEFINITELY true! But the value of native trees is PRICELESS &md
What a busy weekend we have had! On Sunday afternoon several of MTF’s board members (and Tree Rescuers!) were asked to lead teams in Haycock Longfellow Park to remove invasive vines (namely English Ivy and the dreaded Wintercreeper) from the
MTF’s Neighborhood Tree Planting 2025 tree planting season is officially DONE and DUSTED! We had a beautiful, albeit somewhat windy, morning today to plant our last tree, this time in McLean’s Southridge neighborhood—a tall, healt
On November 12th, McLean resident, Merrily Pierce, and friends gathered to celebrate the life of Merrily’s dear sister, Lauri Morrow Alsaffar. In memory of her sister, Merrily requested that McLean Trees Foundation plant a lovely American Elm
Our amazing volunteers really immersed themselves in invasives today — literally! 😂 The burrs were especially challenging today as we cleared out our native plant cages in Lewinsville Park (anyone have a good home remedy for burrs in the hair?

From the MTF Blog:

Featured
2025: A Year of Growth
2025: A Year of Growth

For the McLean Trees Foundation, 2025 was a remarkable year defined by growth, generosity, and deepening community roots. Fueled by dedicated volunteers and expanding local support, MTF achieved its most productive year yet.

Read More →
April is Native Plant Month!
April is Native Plant Month!

States across America, including the District of Columbia, have designated April as Native Plant Month, thanks to the efforts of The Garden Club of America’s member clubs and collaborating organizations. Read about the many benefits native plants have to offer and why it makes sense to celebrate and plant them!

Read More →
Help Trees Thrive: Tear Up Some Turf
Help Trees Thrive: Tear Up Some Turf

It’s fairly common in residential neighborhoods to see trees surrounded by grass or by small mulch beds, often heaped high like a volcano. But did you know that your trees would be healthier and grow faster if you replaced that turf and mulch volcanos with a 2-4” deep ring of mulch that extends out to the tree’s drip line or even beyond? Let’s look at why this is.

Read More →
Native Trees of McLean
Native Trees of McLean

Many of us want to plant native trees for their beauty and the benefits they offer for humans, wildlife, and the ecosystem. But how do we know which native trees are best suited to our site? The key is understanding what conditions our native trees are adapted to in the wild, and choosing native trees that match the conditions of our site. Its also important to create a wholistic habitat and ecosystem for the newly planted tree that will best support it.

Read More →
 

McLean Trees Foundation planted hundreds of trees in public parks in 2025

Photo: Barbara Ryan

 
let's plant some more