Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) prunes street trees and removes dead or hazardous street trees. We also maintain trees in parks, recreation centers, and playgrounds owned by the City of Philadelphia. PPR does not remove living, healthy trees or maintain trees on private property (including alleys).
At their own expense, property owners can hire certified arborists to maintain their street trees. Contractors must get a work permit from the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Street Tree Management Division by calling (215) 685-4362 or (215) 685-4363 or emailing [email protected].
Request StreetTree Pruning Report A Dead orHazardous Street Tree Request ApprovedContractors ListTrees need to drink water too! Check out this handout with basic tree care tips. Water newly planted trees 15-20 gallons per week from March through December for the first two years after planting.
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s (PHS) Tree Tenders program offers tree care training in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties. The training covers basic tree biology, identification, planting, care, and advice on organizing community tree plantings. Tree Tenders has trained thousands of volunteers who plant and care for trees across Philadelphia in neighborhood-based Tree Tenders groups. For information on classes or to find a Tree Tenders group in your neighborhood, click here. You can also check out their video library with great tree care tips here.
The Fairmount Park Recycling Center provides free mulch, compost, wood chips, and manure to Philadelphia residents. Residents can get up to 30 free gallons each year. For a small fee, residents can also drop off their yard debris (leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, brush, manure). For location, hours, and more information, click here.