Milford Tree Giveaway 2024

Milford Tree Giveaway 2023

All the trees have been reserved for their homes in Milford. Additional trees may become available. To be placed on the waitlist for a tree species, please send an email to jgrant@milfordct.gov and specify the type of tree you’re interested in.

For the 4th straight year the City of Milford will be giving 500 native trees to Milford residents to plant in our community!

This year’s Tree Giveaway is a tribute to Sharon Rutledge.

Trees are an essential, beautiful part of our community with enormous ecological and environmental value. Trees around your home increase property value, provide shade, reduce your carbon footprint, improve air quality, and increase quality of life. Planting a tree in your yard is a family event that everyone will enjoy for generations.

Celebrate Earth Day & Arbor Day by planting a tree!

The pickup will be held on Saturday April 27th, Rain or Shine.

The Following Trees Are Available for Reservation, 1 tree per household - All the trees have found a home in Milford

     Sassafras (Sassafras Albidum) - These have all found a home in Milford
    • A native beauty with very unique ovate or spoon-shaped, mitten-shaped, three-lobed, or fork-shaped leaves. These unique leaves also have a pleasant aromatic scent when crushed. It has a tendency to grow into colonies and can work as a natural screen or a single tree. It's a great source of food for a wide variety of neighborhood animals.
    • Available in a #3 container, 3' tall
    • Mature Tree: 30' - 60' with a 25' - 40' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    American Basswood/Linden (Tilia Americana) - These have all found a home in Milford
    • The native basswood also called linden tree has beautiful heart shaped leaves that turn yellow in the fall. It has small yellow flowers that bees love which give it the nickname "Bee-tree". This tree will grow at a medium to fast rate forming a conical crown. 
    • Available in a #3 container, 3' tall
    • Mature Tree: 60' - 80' with a 30' - 60' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    Serviceberry (Amelanchier 'Autumn Brilliance') - These have all found a home in Milford
    • This beautiful tree will be bursting in the spring with white flowers. These are followed by red-purple berries that neighborhood birds will love. Summertime blue-green foliage transforms into beautiful red-orange in the fall. The multi-stem style of this tree will provide a safe place for birds and provide privacy. A true pollinator-friendly treat.
    • Available in a #3 container, 2' tall
    • Mature Tree: 15' - 25' with a 15' - 20' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    Crabapple (Malus 'Show Time') - These have all found a home in Milford
    • This upright ornamental tree becomes the highlight of your yard with large, densely-clustered fuchsia red flowers. There are red tones throughout the deep green foliage that turn into a bright fiery orange in the fall. This valuable species is a major source of nectar and food for pollinators, butterflies, and birds making you yard the go-to hotspot for local wildlife all year long. It truly lives up to the name Show Time.
    • Available in a #7 container, 5' - 6' tall
    • Mature Tree: About 25' with a 15' - 20' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    Crabapple (Malus 'Adams') - These have all found a home in Milford
    • This upright ornamental tree becomes the highlight of your yard with large, deep pink flowers. Leaves emerge with reddish tints and turn dark green in the summer before turning a beautiful orange-red in the fall. This valuable species is a major source of nectar and food for pollinators, butterflies, and birds making you yard the go-to hotspot for local wildlife all year long. 
    • Available in a #7 container, 4' - 5' tall
    • Mature Tree: About 25' with a similar spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea) - These have all found a home in Milford
    • Oak trees support more life than any other North American tree species. They are the most important tree for wildlife and an excellent food source for many animals. This beautiful native tree has a vivid red fall color that outshines everything around it. A hardy tree that can tolerate poor soils, wind, and drought. This scarlet oak will enhance your entire neighborhood.
    • Available in a #3 container, 2' - 3' tall
    • Mature Tree: 50' - 70' with a 40' - 50' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    Flowering Dogwood (Benthamidia florida formally Cornus florida) - These have all found a home in Milford
    • This native non-cultivated tree produces creamy four-petaled white flowers that attract pollinators. Small red fruits are a great food source for songbirds and other wildlife. The dark green leaves turn red, orange, then purplish in the fall.
    • Available in a #3 container, 2' - 3' tall
    • Mature Tree: 20' - 30' with a 25' - 30' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Partial shade, this tree natively grows in the forest understory and prefers to be planted in yards with mature trees.
    Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus) - These have all found a home in Milford
    • A beautiful evergreen with soft, blue-green needles that will provide year-round color in your yard. This magnificent tree produces 3-6 inch cylindrical cones that are an important food source for wildlife. It also provides shelter for numerous birds and small mammals. This hardy tree is a great privacy screen or windbreak. It will enhance your yard and neighborhood for centuries often living over 250 years.
    • Available in a #5 container, 2' - 3' tall
    • Mature Tree height: 50' - 70' with a 20' - 40' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    River Birch (Betula Nigra 'Heritage') - These have all found a home in Milford
    • This multi-trunked rapid-growing tree is known for its unique papery bark. Large sheets of grayish-brown to tan flaking bark exfoliate to expose a tan to creamy-white to salmon-white inner trunk. It has excellent wildlife value attracting caterpillars, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It has glossy green foliage with an oval growth. It's a true native beauty.
    • Available in a #7 container, 5' - 6' tall
    • Mature Tree: 40' - 60' with a 25' - 35' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    Black Cherry (Prunus Serotina)  - These have all found a home in Milford
    • This beautiful native cherry tree blooms with gorgeous white flowers that produce reddish-black "berries". Dark green ovate leaves turn yellow to red in the fall. Mature trees are easily identified by unique thick dark gray to black bark that looks like cornflakes. This tree will be loved by your neighborhood wildlife. 
    • Available in a #3 container, 3' - 4' tall
    • Mature Tree height: 50' - 80' with a 35' - 50' spread
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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    Location and Date

    This event will be held Saturday, April 27th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (rain or shine) - Please enter this date in your calendar for a reminder.

    The trees will be available for pick up in the lower Eisenhower parking lot at 780 North Street.

    This is a drive-thru-style event and you may arrive anytime during the pickup window.

     

    Eligibility

    Available to current Milford residents, please be prepared to show an ID at pickup.

    Trees must be planted in private yards within the City of Milford.

    Trees must not be planted in the space between the road and sidewalk.

    Limit of 1 tree per household.

     

    Helpful Resources

    Arbor Day Foundation How to Plant Containerized Trees - Please watch this 1 minute long video that will help explain how to plant your new tree

    Yale URI Importance of Root Flares - video

    Arbor Day Foundation Tree Care Tips & Techniques

     

    We encourage you to share photos and the story of your tree on our social media pages.

    Tree Preregistration Forms:

    Thank you for wanting to plant a tree. All the trees are currently reserved.

    If you have any questions about the event, please contact Jeremy Grant in the Open Space and Sustainability department.

    Office Phone: 203-878-7812

    Email: jgrant@milfordct.gov