Creating Canopy Tree Giveaway
Creating Canopy is an annual yard tree giveaway for University and UPHS employees. The event is partnership between Penn, Tree Philly, and Morris Arboretum.
2025 REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN APRIL
Creating Canopy Tree Giveaway
Creating Canopy is an annual yard tree giveaway for University and UPHS employees. The event is partnership between Penn, Tree Philly, and Morris Arboretum.
2025 REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN APRIL
At a Glance
Penn supports the greening of urban areas, and especially in the greater Philadelphia region, by providing free trees to staff and faculty of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania Hospital System.
The University partners with TreePhilly, a program of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, for the Creating Canopy tree giveaway.
Since the first Creating Canopy event in 2011, Penn has distributed over 2,500 trees.
Print this flyer and post it in the break room or other common spaces.
How to Get a Tree
Creating Canopy happens each spring. Staff and faculty of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania Hospital System are invited to register for a free tree two weeks before the giveaway event. A link to register will be provided on this page when it opens. Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed of updates.
Trees will be available to reserve on a first-come, first-served basis only through our online registration system. As part of our support of the City of Philadelphia’s Philly Tree Plan, priority registration will be given to Philadelphia residents.
- Priority Registration will begin Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 10 a.m. for Penn and UPHS staff and faculty that are City of Philadelphia residents.
- Open Registration will begin May 2, 2025, at 10 a.m. for all Penn and UPHS staff and faculty.
Limit one tree per household. Addresses, zip codes, and registration times will be verified.
Those who successfully register will be responsible for picking their tree up on Penn’s campus the day of the event, and transporting it home. Find more details in the Frequently Asked Questions.
Picking Up the Tree
When you register, you will select a time to pick up your tree. In order to keep traffic moving, please arrive during your chosen time slot. The tree pick up event will be on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 3-6 p.m. at the Penn Park Parking Lot (3100 Lower Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104). Many GPS systems to do not recognize "Lower Walnut Street", so please familiarize yourself with our campus map.
The responsibility is yours to get your new tree home. Bring your car, or arrange a ride. Some past tree recipients have made creative use of wagons or hand trucks to transport their trees.
The young trees that you pick up will vary in size. Some trees are 2FT tall, while others are 9FT. You’ll want to be sure your tree will fit in your vehicle. You may wish to bring a plastic tarp or blanket to protect your car from moisture and soil.
Directions: Travel East on Chestnut Street to the intersection of Chestnut and S. 31st Street. Turn right on to South 31st Street. Drive to the end of South 31st Street and bear left into the Penn Park Parking Lot. The Creating Canopy Tree Giveaway is located on the far east side of the parking lot.
Tree Care Resources
For more information on how to plant and care for your tree, visit the TreePhilly website or review the resources below.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is a limit of one tree per household. Identification and address will be confirmed on site. Bring your ID.
2024 registrants can select from the following tree species:
- Apple – Honeycrisp
- Dogwood – Scarlett Fire
- Dogwood – White
- Elm – Princeton
- Fig – Chicago Hardy
- Fig – Olympian
- Gordlinia
- Hackberry
- Magnolia – Cucumber
- Magnolia – DD Blanchard
- Magnolia – Sweetbay
- Magnolia – Yellow Bird
- Oak – Overcup
- Oak – Swamp White
- Redbud – Eastern
Review the tree information cards to learn more about each species.
All trees are given away at the one-day event in the spring on Penn’s main campus. Registrants will be emailed before the event with instructions for tree pick-up. When you register, you will select a time to pick up your tree. In order to keep traffic moving, please arrive during your chosen time slot.
The responsibility is yours to get your new tree home. Bring your car, or arrange a ride. Some past tree recipients have made creative use of wagons or hand trucks to transport their trees. The young trees that you pick up will vary in size. Some trees are 2FT tall, while others are 9FT. You’ll want to be sure your tree will fit in your vehicle. You may wish to bring a plastic tarp or blanket to protect your car from moisture and soil.
If you are no longer able to pick up your tree, please email us at sustainability@upenn.edu and let us know. We have many people who would like a leafy, new friend!
Our event end at 6 p.m. Any trees that had been reserved but are unclaimed by 6 p.m. will be available to Penn and UPHS staff and faculty on a first-come, first-served basis.
The TreePhilly, Philadelphia Orchard Project, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural society all provide great resources and tips for caring for your new tree. Refer to the Tree Care Resources section on this page.
There is a pivotal need for trees in urban areas for the purposes of storm water management, natural cooling, critical wildlife habitat, and the many other benefits that trees can provide. In fact, recent research shows that some neighborhoods in Philadelphia can be up to 22 degrees hotter than surrounding areas, making tree planting in the urban areas more important now than it has ever been.
Our City Partner
To encourage the continual greening of urban areas in Greater Philadelphia, the university is partners with TreePhilly, a program of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, for the Creating Canopy tree giveaway. Launched in response to the Office of Sustainability’s Greenworks Plan, TreePhilly strives to reach 30% tree canopy coverage in every Philadelphia neighborhood. The city helps local residents connect with the resources they need to plant and care for the Philadelphia urban forest. Learn how you can make your neighborhood greener with TreePhilly.