Need a Tree? It Could be Free

If you live in Denver City or County, you may be eligible for a free tree from the The Park People’s Denver Digs Trees program or the Mile High Million’s Trees for Energy Savings program.

Each program has its own guidelines concerning eligibility.  The Denver Digs Trees spring program requires that free trees be planted along the street in the public right-of-way.  The Trees for Energy Savings program indicates that free trees may be planted in your front, back or side yard or in the public right-of-way as long as the trees are planted on the west side of your house (the side that receives the most intense sunlight).

The application deadline for Denver Digs Trees is February 15, 2013.  The tree pickup date is April 20, 2013.  Mile High Million’s website, www.milehighmillion.org, didn’t provide 2013 program dates as of January 10, 2013, but the organization typically accepts applications in late summer or early fall.  I’ll keep you informed.

The Denver Digs Trees 2013 choices for medium and large shade trees include the hardy rubber tree (Eucommia ulmoides), bloodgood London planetree (Platanus x acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’), Japanese pagodatree (Styphnolobium japonicum ‘Millstone’), patriot elm (Ulmus wilsoniana ‘Patriot’), autumn gold ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’) and flashfire® maple (Acer saccharum ‘JFS-Caddo2’).  Small ornamental trees, for planting under overhead power lines only, are Cole’s select serviceberry (Amelanchier x  grandiflora ‘Cole’s Select’) and bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum).

If you don’t qualify for a free street tree this spring with Denver Digs Trees, you may qualify for a free yard tree in the program’s fall shade tree distribution if you live in target neighborhoods. Or you can buy low-cost trees at The Park People’s annual Earth Day and fall tree sales.  For more information about the sales and the Denver Digs Trees program, visit www.theparkpeople.org or call 303-722-6262.

For those of you outside Denver, you also may be able to obtain free or low-cost trees in your municipality.  Check with your local forestry or environmental representatives.