Yard Tree Giveaway - Free Trees for Your Yard

Information
Tree recipient pushes wheelbarrow with 2 pines, mulch and a young child wearing a pink jacket and red boots.
Free yard trees for Portlanders from Portland Parks & Recreation's Urban Forestry.
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Registration for the 2024 Yard Tree Giveaway is Open!  
Register Here

We are giving away 3,000 trees this fall. 
 
22 types of trees to choose from. 
This year, pick up your tree at one of our six events.
Planting is available for people who need an accommodation. 

Eligibility Reminder 

  • Trees must be planted on private property inside Portland city limits.
  • Limit 2 free trees per address.
  • Trees may not be used to fulfill the requirements of a permit.

Interested in volunteering at Yard Tree Giveaway events?! Check out our volunteer needs here.
 


Why Trees?

Trees provide essential services for all Portlanders. Planting trees in yards keeps us and our homes cool during the hottest months and helps collect stormwater during the winter. They also clean the air, buffer noise, reduce crime and improve our mental and physical health. On top of all of this, they provide year-round beauty. 

Eligibility

  • Trees must be planted within City of Portland corporate boundaries
  • Limit of two trees per household
  • Trees are for planting on private property in front, side, or back yards (trees may not be planted in containers or in the sidewalk as street trees)
  • Trees are not to be used for planting permit requirements
Several different tree species are lined up at a Yard Tree Giveaway event ready to be handed out.

Available Trees and Species Lists

We offer a variety of trees ranging from medium to large in size and include native, conifer, evergreen, and deciduous species. All trees should fit in a car/truck or make a nice companion on the bus! When choosing a species, please consider the available space in your yard for roots and branches as well as how much sun your yard gets each day. 

Click below to see the full list of trees available at Yard Tree Giveaway.

Tree Species List 2024

Árboles para patios para el otoño de 2024

Cây có sẵn cho mùa thu 2024

2024 年秋季庭院樹木

Осень 2024 Декоративные деревья


Planting Location

Yard trees should be planted a minimum of 10 feet from any side of your house, two feet from property lines or five feet from a driveway or water meter. For advice on where in your yard to plant your tree, check out Right Tree, Right Place from the Arbor Day Foundation.

Planting and Care

We’ll send you home with a free watering bucket filled with mulch and educational materials to show you how to properly plant and care for your tree. You can view and print the information on how to plant and care for your tree here: 

Free Planting and Delivery for People Who Need an Accommodation

Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry will provide yard tree delivery and planting for Portlanders with limited mobility or need an accommodation. Let us know how we can help. 


Volunteer with the Yard Tree Giveaway! 

Yard Tree Giveaway event

Have enough trees in your yard? You can still participate! Each Saturday in the fall we will host an event and give away about 300 trees! We need lots of help to make these events work. No prior experience necessary! We will provide all the training and tools you will need to be succeed. Click the arrows below to learn more about ways you can help. Visit our volunteer webpage to register.

Mulching

Each tree we give away comes with a bucket of mulch. Help fill buckets with mulch, deliver buckets to stations, load buckets into cars. Please note, this is a high impact activity and will require some physical activity. All tools will be provided. 

Volunteers mulching

Information

Hand out information booklets on how to care for your new trees, direct traffic to the correct stations, or take photos of all the fun! Training and materials will be provided to you on site. 

Person directing traffic

Finding Root Flares

Often times trees are potted too deep. Help uncover root flares of the trees we giveaway and indicate the depth the tree should be planted. This is a high impact job, training and tools will be provided on site. 

Volunteers looking for the root flare

Partnerships

Are you interested in getting the word out about free yard trees in your neighborhood?
Do you have a large parking lot that could be used for an event location?
Do you have a group wanting to volunteer at one of our events?

Contact Molly Wilson at freeyardtrees@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-4963.