Tree Adoptions

What species should I choose and how do I know the right place to plant on my property?
When choos­ing a species and where to plant it, it’s impor­tant to con­sid­er a few fac­tors so your tree will thrive for years to come! First, be sure to con­sid­er the avail­able space in your yard for roots and branch­es as the tree matures. Sec­ond, it’s impor­tant to note if there are any over­head util­i­ty wires or under­ground util­i­ty pipes where you are con­sid­er­ing plant­i­ng the tree. Check out the Right Tree, Right Place guide from the Arbor Day Foun­da­tion for help in deter­min­ing the best tree and plant­i­ng loca­tion for you.

How does Tree Pitts­burgh choose what tree species to offer?
Many fac­tors are con­sid­ered when Tree Pitts­burgh staff choos­es the avail­able trees for a tree adop­tion event sea­son. As our trees are grown in our Her­itage Nurs­ery, we con­sid­er what is avail­able at that time of year and what trees grow well in our area. We always choose native species when pos­si­ble, but occa­sion­al­ly offer a few non-native species that, with the chang­ing cli­mate as well as new pests and dis­eases, will also thrive here.

I want a flow­er­ing tree for my yard, but you always run out of those quick­ly. Why don’t you offer more?
This is a great oppor­tu­ni­ty for us to dis­cuss the impor­tance of bio­di­ver­si­ty! Bio­di­ver­si­ty is the vari­ety of life in the world or in a par­tic­u­lar habi­tat, or ecosys­tem. Tree bio­di­ver­si­ty is impor­tant for many rea­sons. Dif­fer­ent trees offer food and habi­tat for many dif­fer­ent types of insects and birds, which sup­port a healthy ecosys­tem. Dif­fer­ent trees offer us dif­fer­ent but equal­ly impor­tant ben­e­fits, such as lots of shade or fruit to eat. By increas­ing the diver­si­ty of the species of trees in our neigh­bor­hoods, we improve the qual­i­ty of life for all beings!

How big are the trees at pickup?
Unless oth­er­wise not­ed, all trees come in 2–3 gal­lon con­tainer­ized pots and range from 2–6 feet depend­ing on the species. Trees will fit in a car, truck, even on your bike. Small­er trees can even be tak­en on the bus!

How do I plant my tree?
Once you receive your tree, you’ll need to know how to plant it! We’ve cre­at­ed a video and a fly­er to guide you through plant­i­ng your tree.