Free trees for schools and communities
We want to make sure everybody in the UK has the chance to plant a tree. So we’re giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities.
Choose your pack(s) from the list below and fill out our application form.
We have two delivery periods per year, one in March and the other in November. We are currently taking applications for trees to be delivered in NOVEMBER 2020.
If you can’t wait until then, or your application is unsuccessful, you can buy packs in our shop all year round.
Please note: if you have received trees in March but need to delay planting them due to school closures, remove the trees from their box and store them upright. They should be sheltered from frost and wind, ideally somewhere outside where it is cool and dry. Storing like this should be adequate for 4-6 weeks. If the roots look like they’re drying out, lightly spray them with water to keep them moist. Do not place them in a bucket of water as this could rot the roots.
If it is not possible to plant the trees within 6 weeks, we recommend planting them in a temporary position until November when the saplings become dormant. You should:
- dig a shallow trench just deep enough for the roots
- separate the individual saplings and stand upright in the trench, approximately 12cm apart
- cover the roots with loose soil and firm into the ground.
Once the new planting season starts in the autumn, the trees can be transferred to their permanent planting position.
Before you start you’ll need to:
- Know the six digit grid reference for the land you wish to plant using the grid reference finder
- Have permission from the legal landowner
- Read through our short list of FAQs. They are packed full of important and useful information which will help your application.
Tree packs
Hedge
Make a natural screen or connect existing woodland to help wildlife stay on the move. You will get a variety of each species for 8 metres of full, easy to manage hedging.
For a longer length, our Wild Harvest, Year Round Colour, Wildlife, and Wild Wood packs also make great hedgerows and are available with 105 or 420 saplings.
- Trees: 30
- Species: dog rose, hawthorn, hazel, crab apple, dogwood
- Size of land: 6-8 metres of double-row hedging
Copse
Plant a mini forest school classroom or a peaceful spot that’s an oasis for birds. You will get 10 of each species for a small, tranquil copse.
- Trees: 30
- Species: silver birch, rowan, wild cherry
- Size of land: tennis court
Wild harvest
Grow an array of fruits and nuts to produce your own jams, jellies, wines and more.
- Trees: 105 or 420
- Species: hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose, elder, rowan
- Size of land for 105 saplings: 4x tennis courts or 20-25 metres double-row hedge
- Size of land for 420 saplings: 1x football pitch or 85-100 metres double-row hedge
Year-round colour
Enjoy beautiful blossoms, bright berries and stunning autumn displays.
- Trees: 105 or 420
- Species: hawthorn, dogwood, wild cherry, silver birch, rowan, hazel
- Size of land for 105 saplings: 4x tennis courts or 20-25 metres double-row hedge
- Size of land for 420 saplings: 1x football pitch or 85-100 metres double-row hedge
Working wood
Fuel a log burner in 7-10 years, or channel your creativity and learn to carve or weave willow.
- Trees: 105 or 420
- Species: rowan, silver birch, wild cherry, common oak, field maple, grey willow
- Size of land for 105 saplings: 4x tennis courts
- Size of land for 420 saplings: football pitch
Wild wood
These hardy native species can tolerate exposed sites and help dry up wet areas.
- Trees: 105 or 420
- Species: hazel, crab apple, downy birch, hawthorn, holly, goat willow
- Size of land for 105 saplings: 4x tennis courts or 20-25 metres double-row hedge
- Size of land for 420 saplings: 1x football pitch or 85-100 metres double-row hedge
Wildlife
Establish food and shelter for wildlife and create a living legacy for future generations.
- Trees: 105 or 420
- Species: hawthorn, rowan, blackthorn, silver birch, hazel, common oak
- Size of land for 105 saplings: 4x tennis courts or 20-25 metres double-row hedge
- Size of land for 420 saplings: 1x football pitch or 85-100 metres double-row hedge
Urban trees
Easy to manage, this pack is designed for residential areas with limited communal space. If no shared space is available, applications to split between neighbouring front gardens to green up your street are considered. Tree packs for private use can be found in our shop.
- Trees: 15 – a mix of three native species chosen to thrive in urban environments
- Species: crab apple, rowan, hazel
- Protection: spirals and canes
Please note, species may vary from advertised.
All the trees we supply are sourced and grown in the UK and Ireland.
See the difference our tree packs have made
Tree Tools for Schools
Our fantastic online resource has everything you need to plan, plant and care for your tree pack.
The activities include a planning tool, planting advice and interactive activities, and they're useful for community groups as well as schools.
And when you plant your tree pack your school will earn two points on our Green Tree Schools Award. (You can continue to apply for trees each season, but you will only receive points for this activity once).
Our tree packs have been generously funded by lead partners:
- Sainsbury’s
- Players of People’s Postcode Lottery
- Lloyds Bank
- Joules
- Bank of Scotland.
Plant trees
Tree planting advice
Thinking of planting trees, but need some help? Look no further.
Support us
Getting your community involved
Bring your community together to learn, achieve and support your local environment.
Plant trees
Community woods
If you want to get involved in a community wood here’s our advice and guidance, from funding to planning for the future.
About us
Where do our trees come from?
With increasing numbers of tree pests and diseases in the UK, it's important we have confidence in the trees we plant. Find out more about how our trees are sourced and grown.