The City has a goal to plant two million trees by the time the population of Edmonton reaches two million people and to expand the urban forest canopy cover to 20% by 2071. Currently, the canopy is at 13%.
To meet these goals, the City has developed annual public tree planting targets as outlined in the Urban Forest Asset Management Plan. Among these targets, 900 new boulevard and open space trees along with 40 hectares of naturalized areas will be planted annually through to 2071.
Tree planting is completed on City property at locations that would benefit from trees for a variety of reasons, including providing shade, traffic-calming on streets, reducing operational maintenance requirements, advancing natural area buffers and providing habitat for wildlife, among many other benefits.
The Greener as We Grow Planting Program guides tree plantings on City property, including this growth planting. To find out more about all the tree planting that happens through Greener as We Grow please visit:
The 2 Billion Trees Program
The City of Edmonton has received funding from the Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees (2BT) Grant program. The 2BT program supports new tree planting projects across Canada, and the City of Edmonton has received $48 million in funding.
Using this funding, as well as approved capital budget funding of approximately $66 million, the City of Edmonton is planting more than 2.5 million trees and shrubs over 300 hectares, in naturalized areas, boulevards and open spaces. Planting work began in April 2022 and will continue through 2030.
Learn more about volunteer tree planting events at Root for Trees.
Visit Urban Forestry Planting Programs for information on having a larger tree planted.
Learn more about how we steward, care for and make decisions about the urban forest.
In alignment with international best practices, the City has updated its approach to recovering natural ecosystems and provided more clarity and consistency to its restorative activities. These activities include naturalization, reclamation, or restoration, as described in the City’s Design and Construction Standards, as well as others such as reducing impacts or various levels of recovery of the native ecosystem through ecological restoration. It replaces the previous 1994 Naturalization Master Plan.
A Greener Edmonton provides direction on restorative activities on public land in Edmonton, including where and how these activities will occur, which will also help meet urban forest canopy and tree planting goals over the next eight years.
A Greener Edmonton updates the processes and criteria for site selection, planning, budgeting and implementation, including species lists suited to Edmonton’s climate, geography, soils and ecology.
The 2025 planting sites include:
- 153 Ave - Manning Drive to 45 Street
- G Edmund Kelly Park
- Kilkenny Park
- Casselman Park
- Northern Lights Cemetery
- Chambery/Elsinore Park
- Walker - 61 Street between 18 Avenue and 19A Avenue SW
- Michaels Park
- Big Bear Park
- Jackie Parker Park
- 23 Avenue - Calgary Trail-119 Street
- 34 Avenue - Calgary Trail- 111 Street
** Please note, plans are subject to change
