Tiny Trees Giveaway Program

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Tiny Trees Giveaway Program

Thank you for picking up your Tiny Trees and helping us expand the urban forest!

There will be a Second-Chance Giveaway of leftover Tiny Trees this Saturday, May 18, in front of City Hall (400 Robert D. Ray Dr.) from 8 a.m. to noon, or until trees run out.

The Tiny Trees Program began in Des Moines in 2017 and since then has provided tens of thousands of free trees to Des Moines residents for planting on private property to help Des Moines grow its urban canopy and reap the many benefits that trees provide to our residents like lower heating and cooling costs, increased stormwater retention, increased property values and increased use of the outdoors.

Each Year, Des Moines residents are able to request up to five FREE individual trees from the Forestry Division.

With this free program, we are making it easier than ever for you to increase our urban tree canopy by planting trees on your property.

Tiny Trees 2024 Species List

Shade Trees

Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua

“Sweetgum” refers to the aromatic gum that oozes from its wounds. The glossy, star-shaped leaves turn bright red, purple or orange in fall. Spiky fruit (gumballs) can be messy, so plant in areas with less traffic. Attracts wildlife and grows well in various soil types in both full sun and partial shade.

Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra

The Ohio buckeye is a fast-growing tree with palmately compound leaves that can reach 50 to 60 feet in height. Producing white, showy flowers in spring, it is named for its fruit - nuts closely resembling a dark brown eye when its spiky tan husk is removed. The leaves and nuts are toxic, plant in areas away from pets. Does best in full sun and moist soil.

Overcup Oak
Quercus lyrata

Overcup oak, named for its mostly enclosed acorns, is one of the most flood-tolerant oaks in all of North America, but also grows in well-draining soil. Like most oaks, the Overcup is great for wildlife and providing shade.

Willow Oak
Quercus phellos

The Willow Oak is a medium to large-sized shade tree. It has balanced, evenly distributed branches, producing a rounded form that has made it popular for landscaping. Its lustrous dark green leaves turn bright yellow in autumn. Adaptability to various soils and lighting make it easy to grow!

Ornamental, Fruit and Nut Trees

Eastern Redbud
Cersis canadensis

The Eastern Redbud is used widely as an ornamental because of the rose-pink flowers which appear early in the spring along the branches before the leaves appear. It will attract several pollinators and holds great wildlife value as a larval host, while its bean pod fruits provide food for songbirds.

American Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana

persimmon-fruit-hanging-2023-11-27-05-35-52-utc

The American or Common Persimmon can tolerate a range of soil and light conditions. It is dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees, and you need both in order to get fruit. Leaves turn yellow, orange and bright red in fall.

American Hazelnut
Corylus americana

The American Hazelnut is a suckering, deciduous shrub. It is fast growing (1-2 feet annually) but usually doesn’t exceed 10-15 feet at maturity. The nuts are edible, typically produced after 2-3 years. Grow in full sun. Plant multiple for cross-pollination.

Coniferous Trees

Pitlolly Pine
Pinus rigida x taeda

This hybrid of the Pitch and Loblolly Pines takes the best of both species, creating a hardy, drought-tolerant evergreen that can handle heat and a range of soil conditions. The fast-growing Pitlolly is also largely resistant to pests.

Pickup Info

Plant Care Tips

Before You Plant

You MUST call Iowa One Call before you dig. Call 811 to provide your address, closest major intersection, how you have marked the planting location(s), and where in your yard you intend to plant your Tiny Trees.

Planting Steps

Dig the hole just deep enough to accommodate all roots so they are not bent in the planting hole. As you remove soil, use your shovel to slice and separate soil chunks, making it more granular if possible. If the roots are downward facing, build a cone of soil and straddle the roots over the cone. If the roots are horizontal, gently separate criss-crossing roots prior to backfill.
The planting depth is important! Set the root flare (the point where the vertical tree trunk begins to bend sideways to form roots) at the final soil grade. A tree planted too deep will not survive. Replace the soil that you loosened earlier, back into the planting hole. When 2/3 full, use water to settle the soil.
Next, fill the rest of the hole with soil. To catch rain water, use any extra soil to build a circular soil berm around the tree. Apply a two inch covering of wood mulch to keep out weeds and retain moisture. Neither soil nor wood mulch should touch the trunk of the tree.
Do a final watering, and there you have it. A brand new tree that will grow to provide numerous environmental and economic benefits on your property.

Watering

Select a common household object, such as a pint yogurt tub or a quart milk jug, so that you can measure a single (1) pint of water. Plan to gently pour the pint of water at the base of your new tiny tree 2X’s per week all summer long. The slower you pour, the more water gets to the roots instead of the adjacent soil. Add a 3rd watering if there is drought for more than a week. Ask a neighbor to water if you leave home for more than three days. Water is the MOST important resource to keep your new Tiny Trees alive.

Maintaining

Your Tiny Tree will resemble a ‘stick with branches' when you get it, so no pruning is required for the next 5 years. Only remove an occasional broken branch, and try to never break or prune the top of the vertical tree trunk. Placing a two inch thickness of wood mulch at the base of your tree will do 3 things: keep your mower and string trimmer away; retain moisture in the root zone; and keep unwanted weeds away.