TREES FOR ALL
Why we do it
Human Nature’s free tree program exists to increase the climate resilience of neighborhoods — But there are so many more benefits to planting trees with your neighbors.
-
Heat rays from the sun bounce off of pavement and amplify heat, when then leads to higher electricity bills from heavy use of air conditioners. Shade from tall, mature trees is one of the easiest ways to reduce this effect!
Read more about Urban Heat Island Effect here: https://climate.state.mn.us/identifying-vulnerable-neighbors-twin-cities
-
The City of Saint Paul wants at least 4,000 trees planted a year between 2026 and 2031, and the greatest potential for space is in privately owned yards. Human Nature is working towards that goal, too.
Find out more about St Paul’s goals: https://engagestpaul.org/climate2025
-
When you sign up for a tree with Human Nature, we’re with you the whole way. We help site your tree so that you don’t disturb any utilities, and will talk to you about the pros and cons of any of the trees we offer.
-
We offer a selection of fruit trees for the nature nervous and those who seek a source of fresh produce on their property. Helping our neighbors become not just self reliant, but a resource for those around them, all feeds back into our goal of building community for the sake of resilience.
Find out more about Food Sovereignty: https://viacampesina.org/en/2003/01/food-sovereignty/
How It Works
-
From the tree stock list, pick your top three and submit the tree sign-up form. If you’re signing up for the next year, you may not see options to pick a tree yet— Sign up for the waitlist! Depending on your address, we’ll see if we can service you!
-
We will send you a text or email regarding your form to let you know if you got a slot to adopt your free tree.
-
We’ll send you a link to schedule a site visit where we’ll mark the planting location for utility conflicts and give you a short rundown of how to care for a tree. Here we’ll also ask for your outside water availability and your ability to dig a hole, or to have a neighbor dig one for you.
You may be eligible for more than one tree depending on the space on your property!
-
Since this is a free program, we ask participants to, well, participate! If you can, we will ask you to dig a hole, find someone who can, or volunteer on tree planting day.
We’ll tell you the dates!
The hole you dig should be circular, with a rounded bottom like a bowl. A 1.5 foot diameter of the circle is best.
-
Depending on the scheduling of our team, your tree will be planted before or on planting day.
That means either myself and Chris will come and plant, or if you get put on volunteer day, a neighbor will come to your house and plant your tree. You don’t have to be home, but you do need to make sure we have access to water and where your hole is planted!
This means there must be an unlocked gate and a hose or 5 gallon bucket of water.
TREE STOCK
Fruit Trees - For the orchardist in you!
-
Apple Varieties
‘Ambrosia’ A modern variety that was developed by chance in a Canadian orchard and is likely the result of a cross between a Jonagold and Golden Delicious apple. Medium fruits with a sweet, moderately crisp texture.
‘Nova Spy’ A cultivated variety of the ‘Northern Spy’ line of apples that produces fruit in 3-5 years after planting. Large, sweet-tart and crisp fruit.
‘Freedom’ A late harvest, very disease resistant variety. Medium sized fruit with sweet, crisp, juicy, medium coarse flesh.
All apple varieties require another apple tree nearby for cross pollination and maximum fruit production. Most will readily cross with existing crabapple pollen, but fruit production may be low. Trees may take up to 5 years to produce fruit.
Mature Height: 20-25’
Mature Spread: 20-25'
Shape: Rounded
Exposure: Full Sun
Zone: 5-8
-
Asian Pear Varieties
‘Shinsui’ A small to medium variety that ripens in early to mid August. Crisp, with an exceptionally sweet flavor.
‘Atago’ A late ripening variety that produces very large fruit. Juicy, crisp and sweet, this variety has a mild pear flavor. Less vigorous growth habit than other pear varieties.
These Japanese varieties have white blossoms in spring and glossy, dark green leaves throughout the summer. The dark tan fruit is delicious eating fresh or canned and tastes like a cross between an apple and a pear. Both varieties require another pear to pollinate and produce fruit but will cross pollinate with European and ornamental pears.
Mature Height: 15-18’
Mature Spread: 8-12'
Shape: Upright
Exposure: Full Sun
Zone: 5-9
-
Stonefruit varieties
‘Avalon’ nectarine: Early to mid season fruit production, expect fruit in late July or early August. Large, firm clingstone flesh with a balanced acidity. Self-pollinating.
‘White Lady’ peach: Popular mid season freestone peach variety with low acid, sweet flavor and firm white flesh.
Very limited quantities of these self pollinating stone fruit varieties. Both are rated to zone 5 and should survive and produce fruit in our area, but a late frost or snowless, cold winters might limit their survivability or fruit production. Should be planted in a yard with good southern exposure and protection from northwest winds.
Mature Height: 15-18’
Mature Spread: 8-12'
Shape: Upright
Exposure: Full Sun
Zone: 5-9
Ornamental Trees - For the flower lover in you!
-
‘Cockspur’ Hawthorn
A member of the rose family, the hawthorn is a compact, dense ornamental tree known for its spring flowers that develop into persistent red fruit in late spring. The dark green, leathery leaves turn red orange in the fall. This variety of hawthorn has been bred to be thornless.
Mature Height: 20-30'
Mature Spread: 20-35'
Shape: Rounded
Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
Zone: 3-7
-
‘Lustre’ Serviceberry
This popular tree offers white blossoms in spring, followed by sweet purplish-black, edible fruit over a long harvest period. Berries are good fresh, jarred, or frozen (no pitting or peeling required). Heavily branched, the tree has an interesting spreading pattern and attractive light gray bark with red orange leaves in the fall. As serviceberry is a native tree species, the clusters of white flowers are particularly important to local pollinators.
Mature Height: 20-25'
Mature Spread: 15'
Shape: Rounded
Exposure: Full Sun
Zone: 3-8
-
‘Prairifire’ Crabapple
This disease resistant variety has finely textured greenish-purple leaves and showy pink flowers that bloom later in the season than most crabapples. The persistent dark purple fruit and glossy reddish bark create an ornamental show throughout fall and winter and are good forage for wildlife. ‘Prairifire’ gets its name from the orange tinted fall foliage.
Height: 15-20'
Spread: 20'
Shape: Upright, spreading becoming rounded
Exposure: Full Sun
Zone: 4-7
Shade Trees - These tall trees are loved by bees, birds, and people!
-
‘Greenspire’ Linden
Also known as Basswood, this moderately fast-growing tree has fragrant yellow flowers in spring and dense foliage of heart shaped leaves that provide shade in the summer and turn golden in the fall. These flowers are very attractive to local pollinators and make delicious honey. Produces bird friendly berries in the summer. The Greenspire variety has been cultivated to thrive in an urban canopy with a smaller stature and is more tolerant of a variety of growing conditions.
Mature Height: 50’
Mature Spread: 30'
Shape: Pyramidal, uniform
Exposure: Part Shade to Full Sun
Zone: 2-8
-
Despite being commonly named the Kentucky Coffeetree, this tree is native to small pockets of moist woodlands in Minnesota. It is tolerant of many conditions including a variety of soil types, road salt, and occasional drought, making it a good choice for an urban environment. The fragrant flowers attract pollinator insects, and the seed pods do create winter interest but can be messy.
Mature Height: 60-75’
Mature Spread: 40-50’
Shape: Irregular, Oval
Exposure: Full Sun
Zone: 3-8
-
‘Exclamation’ Planetree
London planetree or sycamore is a fast-growing shade tree, well adapted to city life. It can tolerate a variety of growing conditions and its insignificant flowers and fruit make it a great choice for a dense urban environment. Exclamation is a disease and frost cracking resistant variety with a stronger upright form.
Mature Height: 55’
Mature Spread: 45’
Shape: Upright, pyramidal, symmetrical
Exposure: Full Sun
Zone: 4-8
Tree sign-up
F.A.Q.
Frequently asked questions about our tree program!
If your question wasn’t answered, send an email to chris@humannaturemn.org
-
We cannot plant on city right of way unless you have filled out a permit with the city of Saint Paul to get permission. That means the boulevard in front of your house!
We also will not plant within a 10 ft distance of a water, gas, internet, or electric utility. That means we won’t plant under cables, if we know the tree will grow too tall!
-
If you are elderly, disabled, or for another reason cannot dig your hole, we can do it the day of planting— however, we ask that you try your best to first find a neighbor, friend, or family member who will do it for you.
-
Yes! But of course, we will always accept donations.
-
Though we don’t offer leafless trees, we do order a variety of shade and fruit trees that have different characteristics. Depending on your needs and location we can find something that fits your yard.
-
We plant in Frogtown, Historic Rondo and North End. If you are in Hamline Midway, email info@hamlinemidway.org
-
You’ll need to get permission from your landlord! We can send a letter of support, if that will help. If you are in a multi-unit dwelling, hearing from multiple tenants that they want trees will often sway a landlord.
-
If you can prove that your trees will have public benefit, i.e. they are over a parking lot or shade a sidewalk, or are in a public green space that your business helps to manage, we can plant for you!
If your trees are not for public benefit, we cannot give you free trees.
-
We typically plant trees in fall, after nursing the saplings in our gravel bed over the summer. Fall and spring, rainy cool weather, are the best times to plant trees to guarantee survival.