Toronto is giving away free trees to plant in front of your home

Ever look out your property's window and feel like your roadside is missing something? A black oak, perhaps, or a white pine? 

Tree lovers will be happy to know that you can actually call or message the City of Toronto anytime and request to have a tree planted in front of your home or business this spring or fall.

Little known fact: there's a patch of land between the road and your property which is designated road allowance – a.k.a. public land that belongs to the city. 

That's where your new tree will go if the city deems your lawn a suitable place for a sapling to call home. 

First, a representative will come to your property to determine exactly where in the road allowance your tree should be planted. Then they'll figure out what kind of species will best thrive there depending on the soil and access to sunlight.

This free tree initiative is all part of the city's goal to increase Toronto's tree canopy to 40 percent.

Right now, our city is at 19.5 percent, and although we have the second largest urban canopy in Canada (after Vancouver) and the fourth largest in the world, according to a city report, factors like decreasing soil quality are still putting our trees at risk. 

For those who want to get their hands dirty, you can also apply for a grant through the city's Every Tree Counts initiative, which funds things like tree giveaways and community tree planting events.