How to request to have a tree planted on a City street

You can request to have a tree planted in an empty tree pit. If there isn't an existing tree pit, the abutting property owner or resident must be the one to request to have a new tree pit cut in the sidewalk. Before we plant a tree though, the spot must meet these requirements:

• The tree must be 10 feet from any light poles, driveways, or hydrants.
• The tree needs to also be 10 - 20 feet from any intersections, depending on the direction of traffic.
• You can only plant trees on sidewalks that are six-feet wide (72 inches), not including the curb.
• We aim to maintain a five-foot clear pedestrian path of travel on all sidewalks. But, we will consider a narrower dimension under certain circumstances.  Tree pits should be 24 square feet at minimum, and are preferably four-feet wide and six-feet long. Narrower tree pits will be considered on a case-by-case basis, as long as the overall pit is 24 square feet.
• The tree species needs to fit the neighborhood, and there must be enough space for the tree to grow.
• The tree cannot interfere with power lines.
• The planting cannot located in front of a building entrance.

We also only plant certain types of trees. See a list of the trees we will plant.

You can call the Urban Forestry Division at 617-635-TREE (8733), or dial 3-1-1 to make your request. When you call, you can also request a specific species of tree.

You can also make a request by emailing the Urban Forestry Division at trees@boston.gov. When you make your request, you can also ask for a specific species of tree. If requesting species please select three separate species from the recommended list on the main UFD webpage.

Once we create your case, we’ll send a City arborist out to inspect the site to see if we can plant a tree there. We have two planting seasons a year: Spring and Fall.

If the arborist approves the site, the tree will be planted in the next possible planting season. This may take up to a year.