Residents of Guelph can once again help grow the city’s tree canopy by participating in the annual Community Tree Giveaway. The City of Guelph is offering 2,000 free native trees to local property owners this year, marking a significant increase from previous programs.
Registration for the trees opens on April 22, 2026, at 10 a.m. and will be managed through Eventbrite. The trees are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of two trees per address. Registration remains open until May 6 at 11:59 p.m. or until the current supply is exhausted.
Those who successfully register can pick up their trees on May 9, 2026, at Riverside Park, located at 709 Woolwich Street. The trees, which are native species, will be provided in one or two-gallon containers. They typically range from 60 to 120 centimetres in height and weigh between 5 and 15 kilograms.
This initiative is a key part of the city’s One Canopy strategy, which aims to increase Guelph‘s tree canopy coverage from approximately 23.3 per cent, as measured in 2019, to 40 per cent by 2070. The current program follows the success of the previous Take Root initiative, which distributed 3,545 trees over four seasons.
Before planting their new trees, residents are required to arrange for free utility locates to ensure safety. Requests for this service must be submitted through Ontario One Call before any digging begins.
