Free Trees for the East Side and North End

The East Side and North End have lower tree canopy coverage than other parts of the city. We are working to change that. Our conservation crews have planted thousands of trees in our public parks over the years, and now we want to bring the trees directly to you! Check out your areas tree canopy score here: https://www.treeequityscore.org/

In 2023, through a collaboration with the US Forest Service, AmeriCorps, Tree Trust, Frogtown Green, and nearby neighborhood organizations, we are helping to facilitate tree-planting in Hamline-Midway, Summit-University, and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods. Frogtown Green has a goal of 1,000 new trees planted by 2025! You can learn more by visiting their webpage.

Donated trees are kept over the summer months in our innovative community gravel beds located at the Rivoli Bluffs Farm and Restoration Site.

By adding to the tree canopy of our community, we help improve the environmental health of residents and visitors.

Disclaimer: Tree varieties will be updated for 2025. We give trees away on a first come first serve basis so feel free to express interest in a tree and we will reach out with this years available species when we know what they will be.

Interested in a Free tree?

Here’s how to do it!

Learn about our trees and fill out the form below.

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From fruit to shade trees, we have something for every East Side yard! Read about our options and decide what’s best for you. Tell us your tree preference and how to get in touch with you by filling out the form below.

In fall, you dig a hole, and we plant your tree.

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Youth interns will plant the tree for you! All you have to do is dig a hole for your new tree. And you’ll need to water it regularly! We’ll send additional tips on how to take care of it.

CLICK HERE TO CLAIM YOUR FREE TREE

Find out if you are within our service area on the map below:

Tree Catalog

Fruit/Ornamental

SERVICEBERRY

Common Name: ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry
Botanical Name: Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’
Mature Height: 20-25 ft.
Mature Spread: 15-20 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Ornamental Tree • This popular tree offers white blossoms in spring, followed by sweet purplish-black, edible fruit over a long harvest period. Berries are good fresh, jarred, or frozen (no pitting or peeling required). Heavily branched, the tree has an interesting spreading pattern and attractive light gray bark with brilliant red-orange fall leaves. As serviceberry is a native tree species, the clusters of white flowers are particularly important to local pollinators.

REDBUD

Common Name: ‘Minnesota Strain’ Redbud
Botanical Name: Cercis canadensis ‘Minnesota Strain’
Mature Height: 25 ft.
Mature Spread: 30 ft.
Exposure: Partial to Full sun

Ornamental Tree • Smaller statured understory tree developed at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, this tree is typical of eastern and southern climes but has been bred to be hardy to Zone 4. Beautiful clusters of rose-pink to magenta pea-like flowers emerge along its branches in May and form small seed pods in the summer. Prefers well drained soil and cannot tolerate salt. Can be susceptible to verticillium wilt, leaf spots, mildew, Japanese beetles, borers and scale.

CRABAPPLE

Common Name: ‘Adirondack’ Crabapple
Botanical Name: Malus ‘Adirondack’
Mature Height: 15-20 ft.
Mature Spread: 15-20 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Ornamental Tree • The adirondack crabapple is a hearty and relatively disease resistant fruiting ornamental tree. This tree is well known for its long bloom season and large, white blooms in the Spring. Produces fruit that is edible for humans and wildlife.

Shade Trees

HACKBERRY

Common Name: Hackberry
Botanical Name: Celtis occidentalis
Mature Height: 40-60 ft.
Mature Spread: 40-60 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade tree • This large native Minnesota tree is known for its tolerance to poor soil and drought, bright purple berries and distinctive bark. This species is an exceptional tree for urban environments and is fairly fast growing so it has become a frequent feature for boulevards throughout the twin cities. The thin flesh of the berries is edible and is additionally attractive to many species of birds.

LINDEN

Common Name: American Linden
Botanical Name: Tilia americana
Mature Height: 40-60 ft.
Mature Spread: 25-30 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade Tree • Also known as a Basswood, this rapid growing tree has fragrant yellow flowers in spring and dense foliage of heart shaped leaves that provide shade in the summer and turn golden in the fall. These flowers are very attractive to local pollinators and make delicious honey. Produces bird friendly berries in the summer. Prefers moist, well drained soils, but will grow in a variety of soil conditions. ‘Redmond’ is a smaller statured variety of linden with a pyramidal form when mature.

ELM

Common Name: ‘Princeton’ Elm
Botanical Name: Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’
Mature Height: ~60 ft.
Mature Spread: 35-40 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade Tree • A true American elm, these trees are clones of an anomalous Dutch-elm resistant tree found in the Chicago area.

BLUE BEECH

Common Name: Blue Beech
Botanical Name: Carpinus caroliniana
Mature Height: 20-35 ft.
Mature Spread: 20-35 ft.
Exposure: Full Shade to Full sun

Shade tree • A Minnesota native understory tree also known as the musclewood or the American hornbeam. Its smooth blue-gray bark and interesting fluted trunk make it an attractive tree. Male and female catkins are present
through winter and spring, yielding hop-like seed pods in summer. Adaptable to a variety of soil types and
moisture levels.

IRONWOOD

Common Name: Ironwood/American Hophornbeam
Botanical Name: Ostrya virginiana
Mature Height: 20-50 ft.
Mature Spread: 20–30 ft.
Exposure: Partial Shade to Full sun

Shade Tree • Medium statured understory tree that is native to Minnesota, the ironwood or American Hophornbeam has birch like leaves and finely textured, grayish-brown bark on mature trees. Disease and pest resistant, this tree gets its common names from the strength and density of its wood and the hop-like seed pods that develop in summer.

KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE

Common Name: ‘Espresso’ Kentucky Coffeetree
Botanical Name: Gymnocladus dioicus ‘Espresso’
Mature Height: 60-75 ft.
Mature Spread: 40-50 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade Tree • Despite being commonly named the Kentucky Coffeetree, this tree is native to small pockets of moist woodlands in Minnesota. It is tolerant of many conditions including a variety of soil types, road salt, and occasional drought, making it a good choice for an urban environment. The fragrant flowers attract pollinator insects and the seed pods do create winter interest, but can be messy.

BUR OAK

Common Name: Bur Oak
Botanical Name: Quercus macrocarpa
Mature Height: 60-80 ft.
Mature Spread: 60-80 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade tree • This is an iconic staple of the Minnesota natural landscape. A very distinctive species of white oak, bur oaks sport a wide canopy, zig-zagging branches, and notable large, burred acorns. Notably a savannah species, this tree is tolerant of a range of soil types and drought conditions.

NORTHERN CATALPA

Common Name: Northern Catalpa
Botanical Name: Catalpa speciosa
Mature Height: 40-60 ft.
Mature Spread: 20–40 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade Tree • Catalpas are a common urban tree in the Twin Cities. They are known for their attractive, large leaves and distinctive fruits, but can grow to impressive sizes and grow quite rapidly. They are tolerant to harsh environments, but they can have weak branch structure so it may be wise to keep them away from driveways and homes.

AMERICAN LINDEN

Common Name: ‘Redmond’ American Linden
Botanical Name: Tilia Americana ‘Redmond’
Mature Height: 50-70 ft.
Mature Spread: 30-45 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade Tree • American Lindens are a classic midwestern shade tree species. They are native in a variety of habitats, and this versatility makes them good candidates for an adaptive tree canopy species. They have fragrant blooms, and are attractive to a number of pollinator species.

AMERICAN SWEETGUM

Common Name: ‘Moraine’ American Sweetgum
Botanical Name: Liquidambar stryaciflua ‘Moraine’
Mature Height: 60-75 ft.
Mature Spread: 40-75 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade tree • Sweetgums are one of a series of species that have been in the conversation for possible suitability for Minnesota’s environment as our climate continues to become dryer and warmer. ‘Moraine’ Sweetgums are bred for cold hardiness into zone 5 which inludes much of the Twin Cities area. This will be an experimental species in 2025 with limited availability, but this tree is beatiful and certainly an addition to any yard it is planted in.

AMERICAN SYCAMORE

Common Name: American Sycamore
Botanical Name: Platanus occidentalis
Mature Height: 75-100 ft.
Mature Spread: 50–70 ft.
Exposure: Full sun

Shade Tree • American Sycamores are another species that is a potential candidate for introduction in Minnesota. These trees are famoud for being giants of the forest and having majestic, iconic structures that have made them one of the most famous American tree species. They are not particularly hearty to cold weather, so make sure to moniter the tree over the first few years to make sure it does not succumb to the cold winters here. We are happy to replace trees if the winter is too harsh!

Follow this link to learn about follow up tree care before or after receiving a tree from us:

Urban Roots Tree Care Guide