Grow Together Program

Two people celebrating newly planted trees

The Grow Together program offers communities the opportunity to partner with the Urban Forestry team to plant new trees in their neighbourhood.

The Grow Together program is a City of Edmonton initiative that works to expand and diversify the urban forest through partnerships with communities interested in planting more trees within their neighbourhood. Community members and residents are encouraged to work in partnership with their community league to submit a formal application.

Selected neighbourhoods may be eligible to receive:

Up to 20 new trees planted by a City of Edmonton contractor within their neighbourhood
A special event hosted by Urban Forestry to celebrate the newly planted trees; this event will feature educational and hands-on activities for all ages

On an annual basis, applications will be reviewed and selected neighbourhoods will be contacted to take part in the program. Final approval will be given based on a specific set of guidelines and requirements.

Applications for the Grow Together program will be accepted until June 1 of the calendar year and considered for review on a first-come first-serve basis.

Please review the guidelines below before requesting an application form. For questions or concerns, please contact communityforestry@edmonton.ca.

Step 1: Request an Application Form

Communities interested in planting new trees on public property are required to submit an application form. An application form can be requested by emailing communityforestry@edmonton.ca and will ask the applicant to provide the following:

The neighbourhood name and community league that the applicant will be partnering with.
The proposed public park sites and green spaces that the community would like the City to plant new trees in. The applicant must provide a short description highlighting how the trees will add value to the community and the benefits the neighbourhood will gain from the additional new trees.
Communities will be required to state the park sites for tree planting and the number of trees requested. Each community applying for the Grow Together program can request a maximum of 20 new trees within their neighbourhood. Communities with a limited number of planting sites will be considered to receive fewer trees.
On the application form, the neighbourhood applying for the program will be required to indicate if they would like Urban Forestry to host an event to celebrate the new tree plantings. A maximum of two communities will be selected each year to partake in this special event, where the City of Edmonton’s Urban Forestry team will educate the residents in the community about the City’s urban forest and the benefits trees provide.
Once the application form has been received, it will be reviewed by an Urban Forester and the applicant will be contacted regarding their participation in the program. An Urban Forester will provide guidance about species selection, spacing requirements and whether their community would qualify for an event.

Step 2: Proposal Review

When community planting requests are made, an Urban Forester must assess the feasibility of the overall project and site. The Urban Forester will work with the community members and consider the following guidelines during the design phase:

The suitability of tree species to proposed planting location(s), including future size, spacing, water requirements, and soil requirements.
Ensure the tree species requested are not considered invasive or short-lived.
Proposed plantings that are an extension of private property will not be considered due to potential encroachment issues.
Plantings that block sightlines of traffic signs and intersections will not be approved.
Proposed plantings that are immediately adjacent to property lines will not be authorized.
Plantings must be congruent with the existing design and plant selection of the area and must be designed to contribute to the enhancement of the public space.
Access for City equipment will be assessed for future maintenance practices such as mowing, watering and pruning.
New tree installations must occur on City-owned land. Urban Forestry is unable to plant a new tree within community league envelopes or on school board property.
Approved trees will be planted in accordance with the City’s Landscape Design and Construction Standards.

Step 3: Approval and Implementation

Once a community is selected and the proposal is approved, an Urban Forester will work closely with the community members and complete site visits to implement an agreed-upon planting plan. If the neighbourhood is selected to partake in a special event, Urban Forestry will work with the community league to determine the style of event that best suits their community.

Urban Forestry will be responsible for implementing the planting plan and arranging to have a contractor complete the tree planting on public property. All new tree installations will be planted in accordance with the City’s Design and Construction Standards and must fall within the parameters outlined under the City of Edmonton’s Corporate Tree Management Policy . The following will be required prior to planting:

The plan will be reviewed by an Urban Forester and circulated to stakeholders to ensure there are no future plans for developments at the proposed site. This process could take up to six weeks.
Urban Forestry will request a utility locate from Alberta One-Call and DigShaw. The locate must be valid at the time of the planting. Trees shall not be planted within one metre of any underground utility.
Signed letters of consent may be requested by Urban Forestry from landowners adjacent to proposed tree planting locations.

Step 4: Acceptance into City Inventory

Once the City tree planting contractor has completed the tree installation, the trees will be inspected and accepted into the City inventory. At this time:

The trees will become the responsibility of the City, with all future maintenance, such as watering, pruning and replacement, completed by the City.
Should a situation arise where the trees are in conflict with repair or maintenance of public property, the City reserves the right to remove any planted material.