They work ... for the people who want them.
Giving free trees to homeowners may add canopy to their neighborhood. But the payoff is neither guaranteed nor immediate. Planting is only the first step in growing trees. In fact, up to half of newly planted urban trees die within 13 to 18 years and as many as 30 percent may not survive more than five.
Successful programs, like the Greening of Detroit, focus on recruiting young and old residents to help plant trees and commit to caring for them as they grow.
Creating successful tree planting initiatives
Tree giveaways often don’t reach the residents who can benefit most.
Generally, affluent residents have the inclination and the time to plant and care for trees; they represent a large majority of “give-away” participants. Those in lower-income neighborhoods often don’t participate due to lack of time and money; lack of trust based on failure of other city initiatives; an unwillingness to contact government authorities; and perceptions about the work involved in caring for trees.
Neighborhoods in the 80th percentile for people of color have 38% less tree canopy on average than neighborhoods in the 20th percentile and are 13 degrees hotter.