FAQs

You apply by filling out a simple on-line application.

Yes! We’re offering shade trees, installed, with two years of aftercare. All free, and paid for out of the Tree Canopy Conservation Account.

It depends on the size of your property, the number of suitable locations to plant shade trees, and the need for shade. Usually, we can plant more than one tree on each property.

Tree Montgomery is funded by fees collected under the Tree Canopy Law. In Montgomery County, this law requires trees to be planted during development activity. If the applicants choose, they can pay fees rather than plant. These fees are paid into the Tree Canopy Conservation Account. These fees can only be used to plant and establish shade trees through Tree Montgomery. Tax dollars are not used to plant or care for our shade trees. Here is more about the Tree Canopy Law

The interest in Tree Montgomery continues to be tremendous. We’re working hard to reach out to everyone. Please be assured that this program is on-going and funding is available; and while we do have a waitlist of at least six months for most areas of the County, someone from our staff will reach out to you as soon as possible.

1. You can contact us here
2. If you cannot apply online or need to reach us via phone, please call MC 311 (Outside of the County: 240-777-0311 / TTY: 301-251-4850).

Tree Montgomery is not available within the city limits of Rockville or Gaithersburg. These jurisdictions do not pay into the funding for Tree Montgomery because they have separate requirements for development activity. However, other tree planting programs are available in these areas. Find out more.

Tree Montgomery staff will meet with you to help assess your property for suitable locations for new shade trees. Further, the staff will work closely with you to choose locations and species that fit with your needs and wants.

No, Tree Montgomery does not plant in the County’s right-of-way. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining our street trees. View the DOT webpage on planting trees in the County’s right-of-way

Shade trees are trees that can reach heights of more than 50 feet tall and typically have broad leafy crowns. Examples include oaks, maples, and elms.

Tree Montgomery has planted more than 35 different species. All our shade trees are more than 10 feet tall when planted and will grow to more than 50 feet at maturity. During the site visit, a tree expert from Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection will help select the best tree for your property.

Tree Montgomery staff will work closely with you to select species that will fit your needs and thrive in the growing conditions. Usually, several species are available to choose from. You will be able to make the final selection.

All trees offered through this program are shade trees. Typically, they are at least 50 feet tall with a broad leafy crown when they are mature. The growth rates vary widely but it takes time for trees to grow to large sizes. Tree Montgomery staff will give you details about each species and help you select a one that meets your needs and fits your space.

Some of our tree species have large fruit, some have small seeds, and others have no fruit or seeds. For example, all the oak species drop acorns. Tree Montgomery staff will give you details about each species and help you select one that meets your needs.

A County Department of Environmental Protection staff member working through the Tree Montgomery program will come to your property to meet with you. Together, we will walk around the property to identify potential locations to plant shade trees and talk about species that may work for you. We will explain all our planting procedures and answer any questions you might have about the program. The site visit typically lasts for 30 minutes.

When it’s your turn on our waiting list, you will receive an email with a link to sign-up through SignUpGenius.

• We offer site visits throughout the year.
• You can choose between several time blocks for appointments.
• We may arrive for your visit at any time within your selected block.
• If no time blocks for your neighborhood are convenient, we will continue to notify you of additional time blocks through the SignUpGenius.
• Once you choose a time block for your appointment, you will receive email confirming the date and time, as well as a reminder.
• If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, you may do so through SignUpGenius.

No, the site visit will happen first with a visit by a County staff member from the Tree Montgomery program. We offer site visits all year. Once locations and species are chosen, and you complete the simple right of access agreement, a County-approved contractor will notify you of your tree planting date.

Tree Montgomery plants through the fall, winter, and spring. We stop planting on May 1st each year and start again on October 15th. This gives the newly installed trees the best chance of survival. However, it gives us a limited window to plant. Further, the planting schedule is subject to winter weather, location within the County, and availability of species.

If you complete the process and sign your access agreement in June, most likely your new trees will be planted in the fall. If you sign the access agreement in the fall or winter, we will make every effort to plant before the following May.

For the site visit, yes, you need to be present to discuss the program, species, and locations. For the actual tree planting, the contractor will need access to the planting location. For example, we will ask you to leave fence gates unlocked and have all pets safely secured so the contractor can access the location to plant a tree.

The tree, and all planting and aftercare costs, are absolutely free to you. The shade trees are paid for with funds from the Tree Canopy Conservation Account, which is funded by fees that are paid to offset disturbance to the environment during development activity in Montgomery County.

Yes, before the County can plant a tree on private property, we need to have a signed right of access agreement. This document gives the County and our contractors permission to plant the tree species you selected in the locations you selected. The agreement also allows the County and our contractors to return to inspect and maintain your new shade trees. View a sample agreement here.

We hope that you will enjoy your new shade tree for many years, and we will work with you to select locations and species that will avoid future conflicts. However, if you need to remove a tree planted by this program, there are no restrictions and a permit will not be required.

The planting will be done by the County’s contractor, who was selected based on their professionalism and experience with tree planting techniques.

You can learn more about each step in the process on How It Works.

Each new shade tree will be about 10 feet tall at the time of planting.

Tree Montgomery plants through the fall, winter, and spring. We stop planting on May 1st each year and start again on October 15th. This gives the newly installed trees the best chance of survival. However, it gives us a limited window to plant. Further, the planting schedule is subject to winter weather, location within the County, and availability of species.

If you complete the process and sign your access agreement in June, most likely your new trees will be planted in the fall. If you sign the access agreement in the fall or winter, we will make every effort to plant before the following May.

Aftercare is the ongoing maintenance of trees, shrubs, and other plants during the first years after planting to help give them a good start.

Tree Montgomery will visit each newly planted tree to provide aftercare for the first two years after planting. During each aftercare visit, we will water each tree, add mulch, remove weeds, check the deer guard, and prune branches to improve the tree’s form. Each tree is visited at least once a year, along with three more visits to water. Typically, aftercare visits and waterings occur in July and August.

Aftercare is performed by an employee of a County-approved contractor.

During the site visit, staff will discuss aftercare with you. When you sign your right of access agreement, you will select if you want one or two years of aftercare. Also, you can opt out and provide the aftercare yourself.

No, aftercare and waterings are free along with the shade tree.

Yes, newly installed shade trees need to be watered. If you sign up for the free aftercare, Tree Montgomery will water each tree at least four times during the heat of the summer. However, each newly planted tree needs water to grow through the heat of July and August. We recommend watering each tree with 25 gallons of water per week during the late spring and summer, adjusting for any rain that falls during the week.

You can sign up for one or two years of free aftercare for the newly planted shade tree. Otherwise, we will rely on you to help by watering the tree throughout the growing season; removing weeds; and avoiding damage to the tree by lawn mowing equipment, too much mulch, or herbicides.

Yes, during the first two years, Tree Montgomery will periodically inspect each tree to ensure its continued health. If problems are observed, they will be corrected during the next aftercare visit.

If you receive a free shade tree through Tree Montgomery and something happens to it, we will replace it for free. If you notice that your newly planted tree has significant signs of disease or damage, please let us know.

We provide guards or wire fencing to protect Tree Montgomery trees from damage by deer. Deer will rub their antlers against trees to remove velvet and leave their scent. This primarily occurs throughout late summer and fall. The guard or wire fencing protects the trunk from this rubbing.

If the deer protection comes off or breaks during the first two years and you can’t fix it, let us know. Otherwise, we will check them each time we visit your tree for watering or aftercare.

Keep the guard or fencing in place until the tree is more than 3 inches wide.

What about browsing? Will the deer eat my new tree? No, our trees are tall enough that deer will not reach the top-most branches. Therefore, they will not cause severe damage by browsing.