Trees are an excellent tool for climate resiliency in urban ecosystems. They cool cities, clean the air and help manage storm water.

1,000 Trees

Help us plant 1,000 Trees in 2023

The big trees we enjoy today were planted many years ago by someone like you! Planting trees is both a legacy project and an act of climate leadership that will benefit Lethbridge for generations to come.

  1. Select a tree that works best for your yard (feel free to use our optional Tree Guide below!)

  2. Plant a tree in your yard

  3. Register your tree with the City of Lethbridge's Tree Registry to help us reach our goal!

Need help selecting a tree?

Use our Tree Guide and be sure to choose the right tree for the right location.

Climate Hero

This native tree is adapted for extreme heat, extreme flooding, extreme wind, extreme cold and is great habitat for local wildlife.

  • Plains Cottonwood. Choose 'Sargent Poplar' cultivar if you do not want your tree to produce seeds. This tree is great in very dry and very wet spots.

Shade Trees

A deciduous tree on the south-west side of your property can significantly cool your home in summer.

  • Austrian Pine

  • Plains cottonwood ‘Sargent Poplar’ (seedless)

  • Bur Oak

  • Hackberry

  • Honey Locust ‘Northern Acclaim’, ‘Skyline’, ‘Prairie Silks’, ‘Prairie Sky’

  • Limber Pine

  • Manchurian Alder ‘Prairie Horizon’

  • Manitoba Maple ‘Baron’ (seedless)

  • Northern Pin Oak ‘Majestic Skies’, ‘Shooting Star’

  • Ohio Buckeye

  • Ponderosa Pine

  • Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir

  • Swiss Stone Pine

Drought Tolerant

All trees need consistent watering until established, but these trees can tolerate, and even thrive, in drought conditions.

  • Bur Oak

  • Hackberry

  • Honey Locust ‘Northern Acclaim’, ‘Skyline’, ‘Prairie Silks’, ‘Prairie Sky’

  • Manitoba Maple ‘Baron’

  • Ohio buckeye

  • Plains Cottonwood ‘Sargent Poplar’

  • Ponderosa Pine

  • Tartarian Maple

Fast Growing

These species tend to grow more quickly with proper care.

  • Hackberry

  • Manchurian Alder ‘Prairie Horizon’

  • Manitoba Maple ‘Baron'

  • Ohio Buckeye

  • Plains Cottonwood ‘Sargent Poplar’

  • Trembling Aspen

Fall Colour/Winter Interest

These varieties look great year-round

  • Austrian Pine

  • Bristlecone Pine

  • Crabapple ‘Thunderchild’, ‘Courageous’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Radiant’, ‘Dolgo’. 'Starlite'

  • Limber Pine

  • Mountain Pine

  • Northern Pin Oak ‘Majestic Skies’, ‘Shooting Star’

  • Ohio Buckeye

  • Ponderosa Pine

  • Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir

  • Rocky Mountain Juniper

  • Swiss Stone Pine

  • Tartarian Maple ‘Rugged Charm’, ‘Hot Wings’

  • Ussurian Pears ‘Navigator’, ‘Prairie Gem’

Wildlife Habitat

Urban biodiversity is incredibly important for soil, air and water quality and sharing your home with local wildlife is a great way to create a healthier neighbourhood. *starred trees are also great for pollinators!

  • Austrian Pine

  • Bristlecone Pine

  • *Crabapple ‘Thunderchild’, ‘Courageous’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Radiant’, ‘Dolgo’, 'Starlite'

  • Chokecherry (shrub)

  • *Evans Cherry ‘Evans’

  • Limber Pine

  • Mountain Pine

  • Northern Pin Oak ‘Majestic Skies’, ‘Shooting Star’

  • Plains Cottonwood ‘Sargent Poplar’

  • Ponderosa Pine

  • Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir

  • Rocky Mountain Juniper

  • Swiss Stone Pine

  • Ussurian Pears ‘Navigator’, ‘Prairie Gem’

Fruit Trees/Good for Pollinators
  • Crabapple ‘Thunderchild’, ‘Courageous’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Radiant’, ‘Dolgo’, 'Starlite'

  • Chokecherry (shrub)

  • Evans Cherry ‘Evans’

  • Ornamental Pears ‘Navigator’, ‘Prairie Gem'

Shade Tolerant/Understory Trees

Conifers are a great understory trees as they will stay small until the larger trees die then they will grow to fill in the space.

  • Chokecherry

  • Conifers (see Tree Guide for full list)

  • Manchurian Alder ‘Prairie Horizon’

  • Ohio Buckeye

Trees to Avoid!
  • American Elm (threat of the invasive Dutch Elm Disease)

  • Ash (threat of invasive insect - Emerald Ash Borer)

  • Russian Olive (invasive species)

  • Common Buckthorn (invasive species)

  • Salt-cedar (invasive species)

Why plant a tree?

Trees offer many ecosystem services for our community:

  • providing food and habitat for hundreds of animals in our community

  • absorbing storm water and reducing soil erosion through their roots

  • creating microclimates that help reduce heat-island effect

  • shading roads, pathways and buildings making travel more pleasant and reducing heating and cooling demands.

  • providing biodiversity or variety which makes our city more resilient to changing climate, new diseases, and pests.

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"Will you plant a tree with me in 2023?"
Oki
The City of Lethbridge acknowledges that we are gathered on the lands of the Blackfoot people of the Canadian Plains and pays respect to the Blackfoot people past, present and future while recognizing and respecting their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship to the land. The City of Lethbridge is also home to the Metis Nation of Alberta, Region III.