Tree planting and maintenance | City of Kitchener

Learn about our approach to tree planting and maintenance as well as helpful tips for planting and caring for trees on your own property.

Open our urban forest map

On this page:

About tree planting and maintenance
Trees on public property
Trees on private property
Tree giveaway

About tree planting and maintenance

Kitchener’s urban forest covers about 26% of our land base. It includes all trees growing on public and private lands, including trees in the downtown, old and new neighbourhoods, commercial and institutional lands, city parks, and natural areas. It is a dominant part of our green infrastructure, providing valuable ecological and hydrological functions and processes to the community.

Our Sustainable Urban Forest Strategy provides a vision, goal and five branches for a sustainable urban forest. It is important to conserve and manage our existing urban forest on public and private lands to achieve our tree canopy target of 30% for each ward by 2050 and 33% city-wide by 2070.

Learn about our tree planting and maintenance approach using our urban forest map. On this map, you can see upcoming:

tree planting
stump removals
street tree pruning schedule
potential tree planting points

Growing Kitchener's Urban Canopy

Our Growing Kitchener's Urban Canopy project will plant nearly 20,000 new trees in Kitchener's neighbourhoods, parks and natural spaces in 2025 and 2026. It will enhance local parks, expand naturalized areas, replace trees lost to the Emerald Ash Borer in our natural areas and create vital habitats for local wildlife and pollinators. Planting will focus on communities with minimal canopy coverage to make sure the benefits of trees are equitably distributed across the city. It will not include replacing trees that have been recently removed, which are covered by other City programs.

As we work to plant new trees through this program, you can suggest a planting location on public land.

The project was made possible through a $2.5 million grant funded by the Government of Canada through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Growing Canada’s Community Canopies initiative. This funding will match the City’s planned spending in 2025 and 2026 to expedite the growth of Kitchener’s urban forest, helping double the impact of the work.

Learn more about the project in this video created by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities:

Trees on public property

Trees located within road right-of-ways, boulevards and parks are owned by the City of Kitchener and are considered public trees. Caring for and removing those trees is our responsibility. Damaging or removing those trees can result in criminal charges.

If you’re unsure if a tree is ours, call us at 519-741-2345 or send us an email.

Tree maintenance and service levels

Tree maintenance of city-owned trees is taking place year-round. With over 72,000 trees, our teams are working to maintain our tree canopy and meet service levels.

Open the accordions below to learn about our service levels for different types of public tree maintenance.

Tree maintenance

Arborists work year-round to care for Kitchener’s urban forest. Tree maintenance includes more than clearing sight lines and removing dead branches. Our team performs structural pruning to help city trees grow into healthy, mature specimens. Structural pruning improves the lifespan of trees, resilience to climate change, and helps trees develop a strong, safe branch structure.

In forests, shade from surrounding trees mean trees naturally grow fewer limbs close to the ground. Because they get full sun exposure, street trees often grow wider with more branches close to the ground. This can increase their risk of breaking limbs and shorten their lifespan. Through careful pruning, which may leave trees looking sparse in the short term, we help each tree develop in a way that supports its long-term health.

We have a proactive block pruning program where we can prune each street every seven to 10 years. During street tree pruning work, we may need to do emergency tree removals for public safety reasons. In these cases, we cannot provide advanced notice to nearby residents.

Tree removals

If we need to remove a tree because it is a risk or hazard to the public, we will remove it as soon as possible. We will try to contact the neighbouring property owner to make them aware. In some cases where trees are larger, we will remove the branches, or crown, of the tree first, and the stem stays standing until we can remove it later with other specialized equipment.

Stump removals

After we remove a tree, the next step is to remove the stump. This typically occurs 12 months after tree removal.

Tree planting

When space allows, we aim to plant a replacement tree in the location where a stump was removed. Our goal is to do this within two years, although timing may vary depending on site conditions and operational factors. In some cases, site limitations like underground utilities or restricted space may prevent us from replanting in the original location.

When we choose a species of tree to plant, we consider the tree's full-grown size, sunlight exposure, soil requirements, and maintenance needs. These criteria are reviewed using our Tree Species Selection Matrix, a planning tool customized by City staff that helps match tree species with local site conditions using a list of approved options.

The matrix is available by request. Send us an email at trees@kitchener.ca to receive a copy.

Request a tree on public property

Do you want to add a tree to your neighbourhood or on the boulevard in front of your home? Submit your request through our online form or call 519-741-2345. If we can plant a tree in your preferred location, we’ll let you know and add the tree to an upcoming tree planting season.

Request a tree

Tree safety issues

If you have a concern or question about a city tree, please call us at 519-741-2345 or send us an email. We want to know about tree risk issues, including dead or dangerous-looking trees or other safety issues.

Trees on private property

If you are interested in planting a tree on your property or caring for a tree you already have, the information below can help select the right tree for your property, understand how best to plant it and what support programs the City offers for trees on private property.

Backyard tree planting program

Do you want to add a new tree to your backyard? We're working with Reep Green Solutions to plant trees in backyards at a reduced price.

The backyard tree planting program includes:

personalized property consultation
one or two native trees
delivery and full planting service
care and maintenance guide

Learn more and apply on Reep's website.

If you live in one of our Community Canopy target neighbourhoods, you could receive your first tree for free! Visit our Community Canopy page to learn more about our planting program and discover whether you are eligible for a free tree.

Property standards

We do not get involved in disputes between neighbours about overhanging branches or tree maintenance. For information about the relevant property standards, visit our property standards page.

Choosing and planting trees on your property

Expand the accordions below to learn more about how to select the best tree for the conditions on your property and for tips on how to plant trees to set them up for success.

Choosing the right tree

Choosing the right tree for the right spot on your property involves several important considerations. First, be sure you’re not planting on City-owned land or within the City’s right-of-way. Since tree species each need different conditions to thrive, it’s important to choose one that suits the location where it's planted and contributes to the health of our urban forest. Things to consider when choosing a tree include:

the size of the tree when full grown
how fast the tree grows
how much sun the tree needs
what type of soil the tree needs
the area where the tree will be planted (e.g. open lawn, beside pavement, etc.)
the level of maintenance the tree needs
how the tree changes from season to season (e.g. fruit, leaf drop, etc.)

Our list of recommended tree species, organized by their typical size when full grown, is available for download using the button below. Each tree on the list is native to southern Ontario, meaning it’s well-adapted to our local climate and helps keep the region’s natural ecosystems thriving.

Download the tree species chart

Planting tips

Once you’ve chosen an appropriate tree species for your planting location, it’s important to plant that tree the right way to set it up for a long, healthy life.

Call before you dig! Before digging a hole for your tree, contact utility providers to make sure there is no underground infrastructure like gas, water or fiber lines in the area where you want to dig. Learn more on the Region of Waterloo’s website.
Make sure the tree is healthy before planting. Trim any broken branches and check for damage to the bark and trunk. If you have to wait a day or two before planting, make sure to water the tree to avoid drought stress.
Dig a hole that’s 2 to 3 times wider than the root ball and slightly deeper than its height. Centre your tree in the hole and gently pull away soil to expose the root collar (where the uppermost roots grow out of the trunk). Adjust the planting depth so the root collar is even with the ground.
Fill the hole with loose soil. Once the hole is filled and level with the rest of the ground, remove excess soil.
Apply a layer of mulch 5 cm deep and in a 1 m wide ring around the trunk of the tree, leaving about 5 cm next to the trunk bare of mulch. Do not pile mulch against the trunk (volcano mulching) as the heat and moisture can lead to pest damage and decay.
Water the tree as soon as planting is finished. Water frequently for the first 1-2 weeks to help the tree establish. Continue to water the tree every week, applying about 20 L (5 gallons) per week for 3 years following planting. In hot weather, water slightly more each week.
Large trees and trees in very windy locations may benefit from staking. Place two stakes on either side of the trunk at the edge of your filled hole (outside the root ball). Loosely fasten a flat woven tie between the trunk and each of the stakes and secure the ties to the stake. Remove the stakes after 2 years.
As an optional step, you can install an expandable protective tree guard at the base of the trunk to protect against rodents.

Tree giveaway

For two years in a row, Kitchener has been one of 283 cities across 24 countries recognized as a Tree City of the World by the Arbor Day Foundation and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. This designation acknowledges our efforts in tree care, policy development, community engagement, and maintaining a healthy urban canopy.

To celebrate, we are giving away 300 free trees to residents in the spring of 2026!

Each household is eligible for one free 2-gallon potted tree while supplies last, as long as there is space on your property to support a healthy tree. These young trees are 1-2 metres in height and can be easily handled.

Interested households can apply for a free tree using our online sign-up form until Monday, April 27. Our team will help make sure the right tree is matched to the right site, but you will have an opportunity to suggest species you would like to receive.

Pick-up details will be sent to households that apply later this spring. Trees are to be picked up from the Kitchener Operations Facility (131 Goodrich Drive, Kitchener) on Saturday, May 2 between 10 a.m. and noon. There are no delivery options available. When you pick up your tree, bring your own bucket, container or bag to grab free mulch for your new tree. Rodent guards will also be provided with each tree.

If you would like additional backyard trees, please visit the backyard tree planting program section to learn more.

Apply for a free tree