(Updated at 1:50 p.m.) There will be a “frenzy” at the Crystal City Farmer’s Market next week, as the Crystal City Business Improvement District gives away tropical plants ahead of the cold weather months.
Prospective adoptive plant owners can stop by the Crystal City BID’s tent to pick up a fern, palm tree or other tropical flora at 3 p.m. next Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Crystal City FreshFarm Farmer’s Market.
The BID gets the plants for its “Floral Frenzy-Tropical Storm” event through a partnership with Vornado/Charles E. Smith, said BID president Angie Fox. Vornado removes the tropical plants in its planters around Crystal City to replace them with evergreen trees for the winter — the BID then gives away the old plants.
“Tropical Storm allows community residents and workers to rescue tropical ferns and other plants that would otherwise be thrown into the compost pile,” the BID said on its website.
The palm trees given away can grow up to 7 or 8 feet tall, can live year-round inside and are not difficult to keep alive, Fox said.
“We bring them out and Vornado brings planters, and people just grab [plants] and walk down the street,” she said.
The event, which is part of the BID’s Crystal Green program, is well attended and plants are usually gone within 30 minutes, Fox said.
“Tropical Storm is a great way for Crystal City residents and workers to adopt plants and support sustainable landscaping practices within our community,” Fox said in a statement. “The Floral Frenzy program provides hundreds of plants for re-use annually while celebrating Crystal City’s beautifully landscaped streetscapes and open spaces.”
The farmers market takes place on Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m. on Crystal Drive, between 18th and 20th streets. The market’s last day of the year is Nov. 24.
Photo courtesy of the Crystal City BID. Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.