Portland gives away record 4,500 free trees starting Sept. 26

Portland residents can claim up to three free trees at six Saturday events beginning Sept. 26, as the city's Yard Tree Giveaway offers a record 4,500 trees for private-property planting.

Portland Parks & Recreation's Urban Forestry division announced the program on Monday, Sept. 21. Registration is open at Portland.gov/free-yard-trees or by phone at 503-823-4963. A Spanish-language line is available at 503-207-3505.

The giveaway marks the program's 10th year. It has distributed nearly 16,000 trees to Portlanders over the past decade.

The 2026 giveaway's 4,500 trees top last year's 4,000-plus, an expansion funded by the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF). The voter-approved fund draws from a 1% surcharge on large corporate retailers and supports projects that reduce carbon emissions and build climate resilience, according to the city.

The program targets east Portland for a reason. West of the Willamette River, tree canopy covers 56% of the land. East of the river, where most Portlanders live, that figure drops to 21%. Nearly all of the city's heat islands sit on the east side, according to Parks & Recreation data.

"Everyone deserves the clean air, shade, and beauty trees bring, but when we look at some neighborhoods east of the Willamette River, we see they have fewer trees and hotter summers," City Forester Jenn Cairo said in a July statement launching the broader 2026 free-tree season.

Urban Forestry staff will deliver and plant trees at no cost for residents in 15 priority neighborhoods: Argay Terrace, Buckman, Downtown, Eliot, Hayden Island, Hazelwood, Hollywood, Kerns, Lloyd District, Mill Park, Montavilla, Old Town/Chinatown, Parkrose, Parkrose Heights and St. Johns. Planting help is also available to anyone in any neighborhood who needs it.

Trees are for planting on private property within city limits. Yards, apartment grounds, neighborhood common spaces, businesses, schools and places of worship all qualify with property-owner approval. Limit is three trees per address.

Pre-registration is required.

Registrants pick a date and location when they sign up. Free mulch and planting instructions come with every tree.

The yard-tree effort is part of a broader Urban Forestry push to plant 8,500 free trees across Portland in 2026, with a goal of reaching 10,000 trees a year by 2028.

2026 Yard Tree Giveaway schedule

All events run 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: