Trees for Residential Streets

Trees provide essential services for all Portlanders. Planting trees along residential streets helps cool down our neighborhoods and make Portland streets safer and more walkable during the hottest months. They also clean the air, buffer noise, and improve our mental and physical health. On top of all of this, they provide year-round beauty. 

Yes! Trees from this program may be used to meet the replanting requirement of a Tree Removal and Replanting Permit. While we don't perform the tree removal itself, once the dead or dying tree has been taken out, we can provide and plant the required replacement tree. However, getting a tree from us does not automatically fulfill tree removal/replant permit requirements. Please follow all instructions and requirements as specified in your permit. It is the permit holder's responsibility to complete the permit paperwork.

Please note that trees from this program cannot be used for plantings required as part of a building permit or for corrections required as part of a tree code violation. If you have any questions about your permit, contact Trees@PortlandOregon.gov or call (503) 823-8733.

Our program welcomes renters. If you are renting at a property where you would like trees, we ask that you get permission from the property owner before signing up. If you would like help getting property owner permission or your property owner has questions, contact us at FreeTrees@PortlandOregon.gov or call us at (503) 823-4410.

Yes! Any property within city limits is eligible for plantings regardless of where the owner resides.

After you submit your form, we will verify the address falls within an eligible neighborhood. If your neighborhood isn't eligible this year you will be added to our waitlist, and we will reach out when we are planting near you. If your address is in an eligible neighborhood an Urban Forestry arborist will then:

o    Request utility checks for your site, to ensure safe planting away from water, septic and gas lines

o    Visit your property to confirm if a tree can be planted

o    Mark the planting location (which may be adjusted slightly for utilities or other conflicts)

We'll follow up by email or phone so you know where the trees are planned and give you an opportunity to select your tree species. If the marked location looks good to you, we'll add it to our fall/winter planting list. If you no longer want trees or wish a location to be changed after you are notified by Urban Forestry staff, please contact us by email at FreeTrees@PortlandOregon.gov within two weeks of receiving notification of the proposed tree locations.

You can request the number of trees you would like in the interest form. Urban Forestry Staff will follow up and assess planting opportunities at the property.

Yes! After your planting location is confirmed, you will be sent a follow-up email that will allow you to select your tree species from the available options approved for your space. We may offer a substitute if certain species are unavailable. 

We focus on planting large, native, and evergreen trees wherever possible. These trees provide the most benefits to Portlanders. Large trees grow tall, live longer, and give more back to the community. Their large canopies create shade that helps cool neighborhoods in the summer and can improve public health while lowering energy use. They also clean the air, soak up rainwater, and support wildlife. Evergreen trees continue to provide benefits all year long. Because large trees last for many decades, they are a smart, long-term investment. In locations with height limits, like under high-voltage power lines, we plant smaller trees.

Professional contractors plant the trees on behalf of Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry.

You get to help decide! When you sign up, you can choose how many trees you'd like and where you'd prefer them to be planted. Our team will review your request and make sure the locations meet the program's spacing and safety guidelines.

Trees must be:

• Visible from the street
• At least 15 feet from other trees
• At least 5 feet from underground utilities
• At least 10 feet from your home

Trees cannot be planted:

• In planting strips narrower than 4 feet
• In backyards
• Behind locked gates or in areas our crews cannot access

After you sign up, Urban Forestry staff will visit your property and mark the proposed planting locations with white spray paint. We will then notify you by email or phone so you know where the trees are planned and can approve the proposed locations. 

If you would like to change a location or cancel your request, please email FreeTrees@PortlandOregon.gov within two weeks of receiving the notification. We'll do our best to accommodate changes before planting is scheduled.

Our planting season is from November 15 to March 31. Urban Forestry will email you before the planting season begins but due to time constraints, we will not be able to tell you the exact date your tree will be planted.

This program is primarily funded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) with contributions from the Tree Planting and Preservation Fund (TPPF), the Parks Operations Levy, and the General Fund.PCEF is funded by a 1% surcharge on large corporate retailers and is used for projects that reduce carbon emissions, create economic opportunity, and help make our city more resilient to climate change. TPPF is a dedicated city fund that collects fees from developers for removing trees during construction to finance new tree planting.

You will not have to do anything for your new tree for the first three years! Urban Forestry contractors will plant, water, weed and prune the new trees until they are established. After the third summer, the trees will be the property owner's responsibility to maintain.

View full size image of Contractor using a hose to water a tree after planting.

Young trees need help to get established. That's why we provide three years of free care to support their healthy growth. 

In the first two years, our contractors water each tree once a week from May through October. In the third year, watering shifts to every other week. We also apply mulch to hold moisture and remove weeds around the base.

During the third year, an arborist will visit to provide structural pruning—setting the tree up for a strong, healthy future with fewer maintenance needs. 

After three years, most trees are well-established and need very little summer water or care. This care is provided at no cost to property owners to give each tree the best chance to thrive.

If the tree dies within the first three years, we'll remove and replace it for free.

Some parts of Portland—especially in East and North Portland—have fewer trees and less shade. While areas west of the Willamette River have 56% tree canopy, the east side (where most Portlanders live) has only 21%. We're planting where trees are needed most to help create a more equitable urban forest. For more information, see Portland's citywide tree planting strategy, "Growing a More Equitable Urban Forest."

We are required to mark utilities before digging. We also want to make sure that we place your new tree far enough from underground utilities that it is unlikely to cause problems as it grows.

We have many programs under Urban Forestry. Here is a list of all our programs:

• Trees for Apartments
• Trees for Businesses
• Trees for Parks
• Free Street Trees - Trees for Planting Strips
• Trees for Residential Streets
• Learning Landscapes - Trees for Schools 
• Yard Tree Giveaway - Trees for your Yard

Urban Forestry is a division of Portland Parks & Recreation. Urban Forestry's mission is to manage and ensure Portland's urban forest infrastructure for current and future generations. Urban Forestry is committed to working with property owners, residents, contractors, and communities to enhance the urban forest and optimize the services that trees provide us all.