The City of Toronto plants and maintains trees on City land, to help grow Toronto’s urban forest and to reach the City’s goal of increasing the tree canopy to 40 per cent by 2050.
The City of Toronto owns a portion of land between roadways and private property, known as the city road allowance. The City plants and maintains trees on this land.
A property owner can submit a tree planting request for the City-owned road allowance in front of their home or business.
Request a City Tree Planting or call 311
The City’s staff will visit the site to confirm the right tree species and determine the ideal planting location. Tree planting takes place in spring or fall.
Species available for planting on the City’s road allowance are listed in the Street Tree Brochure.
Trees improve air quality, minimize noise and dust, and reduce storm water runoff. Trees also benefit individual property owners by increasing property values and decreasing heating and cooling costs.
The City can recommend that a tree be planted on the City-owned road allowance adjacent to your property. A Notice of Planned Tree Planting will be left in your mailbox or door to let you know when the tree is expected to be planted.
If you have questions or concerns, or if you wish to cancel a recommended tree planting, call 311 within three weeks from the planned planting date.
If your area has been selected for tree planting, you will receive a notice that will include:
On the day of the planting, ensure there is a 1.5-metre by 1.5-metre clearance around the proposed planting site. Remove items like decorative features, flower pots, plants or other objects.
The City of Toronto is not responsible for damages to any private property located on the City-owned road allowance.
Street trees face difficult growing conditions. Help care for this tree by watering it for the first two to three years while the tree becomes established.
A notice with additional tree care information will be provided at the time of planting.
Replacement plantings will be offset from the stump for installation and tree health purposes. The planned location may be moved onsite at the time of planting due to roots, utilities or other underground obstacles.
The species and planting location have been selected through an onsite evaluation of growing factors like:
It is important to care for newly planted trees for the first two to three years while they become established.
In addition to requesting that the City plant a tree on the road allowance in front of your home, there are a number of other ways to get involved. Check out the Urban Forestry Grants and Incentives to see how you can make a difference.
There are many benefits when planting native plants. They have low cost, low maintenance and they can help sustain local ecosystems. Since ecosystems are dependent on environmental conditions such as moisture and light, the species below represents a plant community. Choosing plants from the same community will help them to thrive:
Learn about opportunities for tree planting and stewardship in Toronto.
The tree equity score analyzer (TESA) tool, developed by the non-profit organization American Forests, produces scores ranging from zero to 100 to represent the levels of tree equity at the community level.
The analysis uses land cover classification data with demographic and socio-economic data to identify opportunities for canopy expansion at the neighbourhood scale. The tree equity score determines whether a neighbourhood has the right number of trees so that everyone can experience the benefits that trees provide.
Studies have shown that low tree cover overlaps with socioeconomic and environmental needs. The tree equity analyzer approach uses a number of priority or equity factors together with land cover and population density data to generate a tree equity score.
The City of Toronto is implementing this new approach to address inequitable distribution of the urban forest at the community level while working toward the City’s target of 40 per cent canopy cover. Toronto is the first municipality in Canada to utilize a tree equity approach to prioritize canopy growth at the neighbourhood scale. The City of Toronto is currently working with American Forests to create a Tree Equity Score Analyzer tool; the first of its kind outside of the United States. Local community organizations can use this citizen engagement tool to provide the necessary data to help inform tree planting and stewardship activities in their neighbourhoods.