What types of trees are available?
Check out the Available Tree Species & Descriptions
Who can apply to adopt a tree?
Anyone wanting to plant trees in Barnum, Barnum West, Valverde, Villa Park or West Colfax neighborhoods.
Trees available to plant on private property only (front, back or side yard, not along the street)
You can plant at single-family residences, multiple-family residences and apartment buildings, businesses, non-profits, places of worship, schools, and more.
Where and when will I pick up my adopted tree(s)?
Adoption Day: Saturday, September 14th, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am
Where? Florence Crittenton High School in Valverde, at 55 S. Zuni St.
What are "yard trees," and what are "street trees"?
Yard Trees are planted on private property. Yard trees can be planted in front, back, or side yards. In yards that don't have a 'street tree lawn', yard trees are any trees planted 11 feet or more from the curb.
Street Trees are trees planted along the street and in the public right-of-way, either in the 'tree lawn' (area between the sidewalk and the curb) or, in the absence of a tree lawn, any tree within 10 feet of the curb.
***We are not offering Street trees during this Tree Adoption. All trees provided by The Park People during this Fall 2024 event must be planted on private property: front, back or side yards.
If you are interested planting a in Street Tree please apply through Denver Digs Trees 2025 or the City of Denver's Be A Smart Ash program.
SPACING: Trees need room to grow. We also want to grow as many big trees as possible to make more shade and cool our streets, homes and neighborhoods. Follow these guidelines to adopt the best-sized tree:
Medium to Large Trees: should be spaced thirty-five (35) feet apart, but they can vary from 25-40’. Look for the canopy width at maturity per the species descriptions. Check to see if such spacing allows the tree to avoid streetlights or utilities.
Ornamental (Small) Trees: should be spaced twenty (20) feet apart, but they can vary from 15-25’ apart. Look for the canopy width at maturity, per the species descriptions. Check to see if your spacing will allow you to avoid other requirements like existing/proposed infrastructure, including streetlights and utilities.
TIP: Measure your tree site before starting your application! Contact 811 to have your utilities marked asap.
Cost:
Each tree costs The Park People over $175. That's too much for most of us! Our generous sponsors and donors help pay for most of this cost.
- $10 per tree to community members
- FREE: If your bills are tight this month, just check "Treeship". You'll get ALL your trees FREE! It's that simple. Because it's that important to grow more trees to cool our communities.
What if I am not able to pick up or plant a tree?
We know most folks enjoy being able to plant and care for their trees themselves.
But help is available if you need it! If you do not have a way to pick up a tree, we can arrange delivery. If you are not physically able to plant a tree we can also schedule a "digger crew" to deliver and plant for you. Be sure to select these options on your application.
Got questions?
We know you have questions. We've been doing this for 40 years, our Frequently Asked Questions page has answers to most of them - check it out!
Whose responsibility is it?
We spent last year talking with residents in Barnum and Valverde about how climate and extreme heat is impacting our neighborhoods. We heard you say that a lot is expected of individuals, and not enough of corporations and sometimes government. Our Community Connectors we will be exploring localized, community-oriented greening solutions that bring in more corporate partners to invest in this work.
Meanwhile, one tree can shade one house; a thousand trees can shade a neighborhood. Together, we can adopt, plant, and care for a community forest that cools our neighborhoods and lowers our energy bills.