Trees are an intrinsic part of the quality of life in Calgary. They provide a myriad of environmental benefits. They also contribute to positive mental wellbeing. Trees help us connect with our communities.

Calgary’s tree canopy coverage is 9.62% as measured in 2024. This includes trees planted on both public and private property. The City is working to grow and expand our tree canopy coverage to 16%.

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You are required to complete the Right Tree, Right Location e-learning module before registration opens. The module teaches you how to plant and care for a new tree in your yard. You can complete the training at any time before registration opens. If you’ve completed the training before, you don’t need to take it again. 

On the date and time registration opens for your quadrant, a registration form will become live in the green box at the top of this webpage. If you don’t see the registration link, please continue refreshing your browser.

Tips on how to efficiently water a newly planted tree:

• If the soil is wet from recent rain, water is unnecessary for a few days until things dry out.
• In the first year, water a newly planted tree 60 - 80L total each week split over 1 - 2 times; in the second year, water 60 - 80L total every 1 - 2 weeks split over 1 - 2 times; in years 3 - 5, water 60 - 80L total every 2 - 4 weeks split over 1 - 2 times. Each time you water, this would look like filling approximately ¼ of a bathtub.
• Use a watering donut or bag to help keep track of how much you’re watering. Fill donut/bag once a week; once filled, water will slowly drain out into the soil, targeting water to the roots of a tree, reducing water loss due to evaporation and helping to minimize overwatering.
• Ensure soil drains and becomes fairly dry between waterings to let it breathe with the atmosphere and restore oxygen. Placing mulch directly on top of soil is a great addition to help prevent water waste through evaporation losses and improving soil health.
• Only water in spring, summer and fall when the ground is not frozen.
• If there are outdoor water restrictions, prioritize watering trees instead of grass.

Click here for more information on caring for your trees. 

While we don't know where the drought dial will land throughout the year, it is still important to plant new trees and use efficient watering methods to help them establish, even if outdoor water restrictions are in place.

Did you know…

• As hotter temperatures become a seasonal norm, trees provide shade, reduce the heat island effect, and cool our environment through the release of water vapour back into the air, reducing temperatures.
• Additionally, they sequester carbon as they grow and mature, and support Calgary’s biodiversity. A healthy canopy provides many climate-positive benefits including improved air quality, reduced stormwater runoff, and soil erosion prevention. 
• It takes about 5 years of watering to establish a newly planted tree. On average container trees, which are the type of trees provided for Branching Out, require approximately the equivalent of 1L of water per day over those 5 years. As a comparison, a high-efficiency toilet uses at least 3L of water every flush.
• The water usage for each tree is very low when considering the long-term climate-positive benefits provided by a healthy tree canopy.