Ready to spruce up your yard but not ready to shell out big bucks? We’ve found a few ways you can get free trees and free mulch, or almost free.
One of the easiest ways to get some almost free trees is to become a member of the largest nonprofit tree-planting organization, the Arbor Day Foundation, and it costs just $10 to join. You'll get 10 seedlings and 2 flowering bushes when you join, and you can request them any time of the year.
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Get 10 trees and 2 flowering bushes when you sign up for an Arbor Day Foundation membership, starting at $10.
An Arbor Day Foundation membership helps support the tree-planting and advocacy efforts of the organization. It comes with 10 trees, plus two flowering bushes (with a minimum $10 donation). You can elect to donate one time, from $10 - $500, or on a monthly basis, from $10 - $50.
And yes, these are actual trees — seedlings. Once the trees arrive, they’re ready to go in the ground. They even come with planting instructions, so you’ll be adequately prepared.
The Arbor Day Foundation offers spring (January - May) and fall (November - December) shipping based on your hardiness zone (where you live) and when you sign up for your free trees. View their nursery trees shipping chart to determine when your seedlings will ship out.
Enter your ZIP code to choose trees that'll thrive in your climate.
On the sign-up page, you’ll enter your zip code before you can choose the trees you want. These types vary based on where you live.
For example, a Boise, Idaho ZIP code offers 10 River Birch trees, while a Northwest Georgia zip code offers 10 Eastern Redbud trees.
Here are some tree categories you could choose from:
10 flowering trees
10 Norway Spruce trees
10 Wildbird Garden trees
10 Oak trees
10 tree mix
10 White Dogwood trees
You can request your trees any time of the year.
You can request your 10 trees anytime throughout the year; it doesn't have to be on Arbor Day or Earth Day.
Don’t want or need 10 trees on your property? Have them planted in a rainforest or deforested area.
While you can choose to get a membership with “no trees shipped,” there are better options. Members can choose to have 10 trees planted in a rainforest or 10 trees planted in a deforested area in the U.S. You can also sign up for the 10 free trees membership and have your trees sent to someone else to plant.
The trees might take a while to arrive, but you'll gain access to other perks right away.
Based on where you live and the tree planting schedule, your trees could arrive in weeks or months (take a look at the guide to help you know when to expect your trees). In the meantime, membership comes with some additional perks.
Besides the 10 free trees, as an Arbor Day member, you'll receive The Tree Book, which has information and photos about tree planting and care. Plus, you'll get the Arbor Day newsletter and discounts on more than 100 varieties of trees.
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