Build community and canopy
TreesCharlotte partners with qualifying neighborhoods, schools, houses of faith, athletic associations and other non-profit organizations to host tree-planting and tree-giveaway events called CommunityWoods. These organized events can be a great way to build camaraderie, beautify our community and add to the city’s canopy.
Qualifying applicants must…
- Be located within Charlotte city limits
- Have capacity to plant and/or give away at least 25 trees during the event
- Commit to watering and caring for the trees after planting
We consider many factors when selecting CommunityWoods applicants. If your application is approved, TreesCharlotte will help you create an amazing day with our CommunityWoods Toolkit!
We are accepting applications from West, North, and East Charlotte for the Fall 2022/Winter 2023 planting season.
This application is currently closed for ZipCodes 28226, 28270, 28277, 28209, 28210, 28211. Thanks to your support and engagement, we are at capacity for the South Charlotte region for the upcoming planting season, but we will welcome more applications from these ZipCodes for the Fall 2023/Winter 2024 season.
Please read all information below before applying to the CommunityWoods program.
CommunityWoods Options
Tree Planting Event
Do you have common spaces in your neighborhood where you’d love to see some beautiful trees? Or maybe your school, house of faith or other non-profit space needs more canopy or flowering trees? A TreesCharlotte tree planting event could be the solution for you!
If you’re approved for a tree planting, we’ll work with you months in advance on a planting plan, tree selection, and enlisting volunteers for the event. On the actual planting day, we’ll provide the trees, mulch and equipment as well as TreeMasters to lead volunteers on how to properly plant the trees. In less than 3 hours, you’ll have created a beautiful urban forest!
Please note: We cannot provide trees required by the city of Charlotte under the tree ordinance. We are, however, happy to work with non-profit entities on trees that go above and beyond what is legally required.
Tree Adoption
If your community applies for a tree adoption (which can happen in addition to a planting), we’ll bring trees for residents to plant on their private properties. We’ll work with you months in advance on the marketing and registration process. On the day of the giveaway, our TreeMasters will lead all recipients on a short tree planting and maintenance demonstration. All tree recipients are expected to sign a pledge to care for the trees after planting and will be emailed additional tree care information. Tree giveaways are often 2 hours or shorter.
Who qualifies?
Neighborhoods: If your neighborhood is in the city limits of Charlotte, it’s a candidate. Often a CommunityWoods event begins with a resident who is passionate about trees. TreesCharlotte will work with that person on how to rally neighborhood buy-in. In cases where there’s an HOA or neighborhood association, we suggest a board member or community leader also serve as a contact. Before a date is set for your event, we require HOA board approval.
Schools: We love working with all schools, whether they’re private, charter, CMS or other! If there’s a school you would like us to consider, please fill out the application below and we’ll be in touch.
Other organizations: We are proud to partner with other non-profit organizations like houses of faith, community centers, and more. If you’re a part of a non-profit that needs trees, we would love to work with you. Just fill out the interest form.
For-profit organization: If you are a for-profit business that would like to host a TreeAdoption or have us help you plant your campus, please reach out directly to Jane@treescharlotte.org.
Does your community need less than 25 trees?
If your community needs less than 25, contact kate@treescharlotte.org, who will work with you to get trees for your neighborhood that you will be responsible for planting and watering.
If your community needs less than 5 trees, we suggest you and some of your neighbors attend one of our free community TreeAdoptions, which we hold multiple times during the planting season.
Are you looking for trees just for your yard?
If you are interested in adding trees to only your property, we also encourage you to check out our Yard Tree options, which are intended for individual residents.
Are you looking for trees for your street?
If you are interested in adding trees along your city-owned street, we encourage you to submit a request to Charlotte’s Landscape Management Office. If your street is privately owned, you can proceed to apply for the NeighborWoods program.
About our trees
We love our trees, and we think you will, too!
Our trees are sourced from three different N.C. growers and are either native or known to thrive in this region.
We offer small, medium and large maturing varieties. We’ll work with you on appropriate species for your event needs.
The trees are 2-4 years old, potted in 3, 5 or 7-gallon containers and are about 5 to 10 feet tall at planting.
Watering and care
In most cases, once a neighborhood/non-profit/etc. receives TreesCharlotte trees, it is responsible for the trees’ long-term care. Trees need about 5 gallons of water/week, and during hot, dry months that will require intentional watering. Please keep this potential cost in mind when applying to our CommunityWoods program. TreesCharlotte can recommend a watering professional to provide you a quote.
What happens once you’re approved?
Once you apply, we will be in touch to talk more about the program and to schedule a meeting with your HOA board/organization’s leadership team. If all parties agree to move forward, we will then tour your community, draw up a planting plan, and create a planting list. To ensure your event is a success, we strongly suggest you use our CommunityWoods Toolkit.
Questions?
Email TreesCharlotte at . FAQs are listed below the application.
Neighborhood Planting FAQs

NeighborWoods Toolkit: Everything you need to make your TreeDay a success!
Benefits of Neighborhood Plantings
Neighborhoods projects help communities by:
Improving property values
Studies show that property values of homes with trees are 5% to 20% higher than similar properties without trees. Source: Arbor Day FoundationBeautification
Trees provided through NeighborWoods are 6 to 10 feet tall, providing instant beautification and inspiration for additional curb appeal improvements.Cooling urban areas
Shade provided by trees has a direct cooling effect on the air temperature for nearby sidewalks, roads, houses and parks.Improving air quality
High temperatures escalate the production of smog and other pollutants. Trees help by reducing the air temperature through shading and carbon monoxide absorption.Reducing traffic speeds
Tree-lined roads provide a sense of enclosure, which causes motorists to drive more slowly and carefully.Energy conservation
By producing shade, trees help conserve energy as they intercept radiant heat.Noise reduction
Trees and shrubs are effective buffers in screening out urban noise.Wildlife habitat
Trees provide critical habitat for birds and diverse wildlife in the urban area.
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