Photo: blmurch/Flickr

You read that headline correctly: the Boston Tree Party. What once would have just been a punny name has taken on a strange weight in these days of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. But never fear – though the Tree Party may be political, it’s hardly controversial. In fact, founder Lisa Gross says the project is an attempt to bring the community together. How? By planting 100 pairs of heirloom apple trees in publicly accessible places across Boston – a goal she hopes will be used to spark a city-wide dialogue on civic involvement and the environment.

When I spoke to Gross, she put a heavy emphasis on the symbolic importance of apple trees. Apparently, the first apple orchard in America was planted in Boston – right on Beacon Hill. Then as in now, apple trees need to be grown in pairs so that they can cross-pollinate and bear fruit – a fact Gross uses as a quick analogy for the necessity of an interconnected society.

Perhaps more enticingly (for PRK readers, anyway), the heirloom apples that the Tree Party will grow are truly special. You won’t find Roxbury Russets and Black Oxfords in most grocery stores, but maybe now you’ll be able to pick them on a walk around town. For a revolutionary touch, maybe you’ll even get a taste of Esopus Spitzenburg, an apple that was supposedly Thomas Jefferson’s favorite.

The first tree will be planted on April 10, at an undisclosed but “really exciting and symbolic” spot (says their website), as part of the Tree Party’s “Inauguration” ceremony. The ceremony will also have a tree-planting workshop, a rally and a small parade. Later, on May 14, there will be a convention at the Old South Meeting House that Gross hopes will connect volunteers and organizations from across the metro area.

So far, organizations such as the Boston University Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Somerville Climate Action and Full Circle Alternative High School have become “delegations” for the cause by taking on the responsibility of planting a pair of trees. The list of tree-planters that the Tree Party has accepted is far short of 100, however – they’re still accepting applications through spring.

So, want to get your school, place of worship or office involved? Find out what you’ll need here. You can help out in other ways, too – ask about volunteering by emailing grace@bostontreeparty.org.