Blue Green Ribbons on Trees in Minneapolis: What They Mean
In Minneapolis, paired blue and green ribbons on trees and light posts near Annunciation Catholic Church and School are a Bows of Love memorial-and-support display for the Annunciation community after the school shooting. The colors are Annunciation Catholic School’s colors. Use the location, the paired colors, and the pattern of nearby ribbons before assuming a ribbon has anything to do with the tree itself.
| What You See | Most Likely Meaning | Best Next Move |
|---|---|---|
| Blue and green ribbons together on trees and light posts near Annunciation | Bows of Love support and mourning display | Leave the display in place and treat it respectfully |
| Ribbons on many trees along several nearby blocks | Community-wide show of support for Annunciation | Confirm the context with neighbors, the school, church, or organizers before touching them |
| A ribbon whose purpose is unclear | Meaning is unclear and may be unrelated | Do not interpret the color alone; look for a notice or ask the property manager or city |
| A ribbon on a tree in front of your home | It may be a community display, but the tree’s ownership may be different from the adjacent yard | Identify the tree owner and the purpose of the ribbon before removing or adjusting it |
What the Blue and Green Ribbons Mean in Minneapolis
The blue and green ribbon display is a local expression of grief, care, and solidarity with Annunciation Catholic School and its families. After the mass shooting at the school, volunteers tied the school-color ribbons around trees and light posts in South Minneapolis.
The display is especially associated with the blocks around Annunciation Catholic Church and School. It is not a city forestry notice, a warning that a tree is hazardous, or an instruction to prune or remove a tree.
The effort is known as Bows of Love. The ribbons make the support visible beyond the campus itself, so families, neighbors, passersby, and people returning to the area can see that the community has not forgotten.
Why Ribbon Color Alone Is Not a Tree Code
A colored ribbon can mean different things in different places. People use ribbons on trees for memorials, awareness campaigns, neighborhood events, property decorations, and temporary work marking. A city, contractor, utility crew, or arborist may also use tags, paint, or other markers during a specific project.
That is why a blue ribbon by itself does not have one universal meaning. Neither does a green ribbon.
In this Minneapolis context, the important clue is the combination of blue and green, the location around Annunciation, and the fact that the ribbons appear across multiple trees and light posts. A single ribbon elsewhere in the city may have an entirely different purpose.
If you are concerned about tree work, look for a posted project notice or contact the property owner, building manager, or the city’s forestry service. Do not assume a ribbon means the tree is scheduled for removal.
How to Respond Respectfully to the Minneapolis Ribbon Display
Respect the display by leaving paired blue and green ribbons intact, verifying their purpose, and coordinating any support with Annunciation organizers.
Step 1: Read the Location and Color Pattern
- Look for blue and green ribbons used together rather than one isolated ribbon.
- Notice whether the display continues along a street, on nearby light posts, or through the blocks surrounding Annunciation Catholic Church and School.
- Treat that pattern as a community-support display, not as tree-care marking.
The paired colors and broad placement are what distinguish Bows of Love from an ordinary ribbon tied around one tree.
Step 2: Leave the Display Intact While You Verify Its Purpose
- Do not cut, untie, relocate, or tighten a ribbon simply because you do not recognize it.
- If the ribbon is on or near a tree you maintain, ask a nearby neighbor, the property manager, the school or church, or a known community organizer about it.
- Once you confirm that it is part of the Annunciation display, leave it in place unless the organizer or property owner asks for help with removal or replacement.
Avoid pulling at ribbons that are caught on bark, branches, signs, or street hardware. A well-meant adjustment can damage the display or create confusion about whether organizers intended it to be removed.
Step 3: Choose a Supportive Action That Fits
- If you want to participate, ask the school, church, or current organizers what kind of help is wanted now.
- Keep any support gesture focused on the Annunciation community rather than turning the ribbons into a general tree-decoration project.
- Do not attach new materials to a neighbor’s tree, a public boulevard tree, or a light post without permission.
Understanding the Scale of Bows of Love
The ribbon display was not a handful of decorations around the school. During the initial effort, organizers cut more than 20,000 bows from plastic tablecloth material. They estimated that amount could cover roughly 30 miles of trees and street lamps (MPR News).
That scale explains why people saw the colors far beyond the immediate campus grounds. The display spread through surrounding South Minneapolis streets as a visible sign that the community was carrying the loss together.
Because this began as a rapid community response, the materials and locations may change over time. Some ribbons may be removed, replaced, weathered, or incorporated into later memorial efforts. Their original meaning remains tied to support for Annunciation.
If the Ribbon Is on or Near Your Home
A Boulevard or Street Tree
A tree in the strip between the sidewalk and street may not be privately owned or maintained in the same way as a tree inside a yard. If blue and green ribbons appear on a boulevard tree, do not assume that living beside it gives you authority to remove the display.
If a ribbon creates a real access or maintenance concern, contact the city or the relevant property manager instead of moving it yourself. Explain where the tree is and that the ribbon appears to be part of the Annunciation community display.
A Tree in Your Yard
If the tree is clearly on your property, determine why the ribbon was placed before moving it. A quiet conversation can prevent hurt feelings and preserve the intent of the display.
If you need the ribbon removed because of planned tree care or another property issue, try to coordinate with the person or group that placed it. That gives them a chance to remove it respectfully or decide how to preserve the material.
A Tree Along a Property Line
A ribbon does not establish who owns a tree or who has authority to alter it. Trees near property lines can involve boundary records, local ordinances, maintenance responsibilities, and the tree’s exact location.
Start by documenting where the tree stands and speaking with the adjacent neighbor. If there is a dispute about ownership, damage, or removal, use a survey and seek local legal or municipal guidance rather than relying on a ribbon color.
How to Confirm You Are Seeing the Annunciation Display
Use several clues together rather than relying on color alone:
- Blue and green are paired together.
- The ribbons appear on multiple trees, light posts, or both.
- The display is in South Minneapolis, especially near Annunciation Catholic Church and School.
- Neighbors, local businesses, or community members identify it as Bows of Love.
- Look for flowers at the memorial site.
If those clues are absent, treat the ribbon’s purpose as unknown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a blue ribbon around a tree mean?
A blue ribbon around a tree has no single universal meaning. In South Minneapolis, blue used together with green near Annunciation Catholic Church and School identifies the Bows of Love display supporting the Annunciation community.
A blue ribbon by itself, especially in another neighborhood, could relate to a different memorial, awareness effort, decoration, or local project.
What does a green ribbon around a tree symbolize?
A green ribbon does not have one fixed meaning when tied around a tree. In the Annunciation-area display, green is used with blue because those are Annunciation Catholic School’s colors.
The paired colors are the important signal. A lone green ribbon should not be assumed to indicate a tree-health issue or planned removal.
Why do people tie ribbons on trees?
People tie ribbons on trees to make a message visible in a shared public space. They can mark remembrance, mourning, community support, awareness campaigns, celebrations, or temporary events.
In Minneapolis, the blue and green Bows of Love ribbons honor victims of the Annunciation school shooting and show support for students, families, staff, and neighbors.
Are the Minneapolis blue and green ribbons a notice that trees will be removed?
No. The blue and green ribbons associated with Annunciation are a community mourning and support display, not a standard notice that a tree will be pruned or removed.
Tree-work notices are usually tied to a specific project and should be verified through the property owner, contractor, or city forestry service rather than inferred from ribbon color.