Bare root, big impact: Penn State Extension helps communities plant trees

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — More than 1,300 large trees were planted across Pennsylvania this spring through a program helping communities overcome the cost and complexity of expanding local tree canopy. Supported by Penn State Extension and the nonprofit TreePennsylvania, the effort helps municipalities plant dozens of trees at a time with volunteer support and reduced expense.

Through the bare-root tree grant program, communities receive large trees, technical guidance and training. The approach builds local capacity to sustain urban forestry over time, noted Vincent Cotrone, urban forestry extension educator.

The program delivers trees about 12 feet tall at planting, without the heavy root balls that typically require machinery to move.

Instead, trees are shipped without soil, with roots dipped in hydrogel to retain moisture and transported in refrigerated tractor-trailers. Hundreds can be moved at once and handled by volunteers at central drop sites.

That shift makes planting more accessible. Volunteers and municipal crews can plant these lightweight trees along streets, parks and school grounds without the cost and logistical hurdles that often stand in the way.

Through the program, the average cost is about $120 per tree, including delivery.

“On average, we’re saving communities probably about $500 a tree, when compared to a balled and burlap, contract-planted tree,” Cotrone said.

Increased tree canopy can cool sidewalks and playgrounds, reduce stormwater runoff and nutrient loads, and improve public spaces, Cotrone said. Tree-lined areas also can support local business districts.

“What trees provide to downtown merchants is an environment where people want to get out of their cars and spend more time shopping or getting dinner out,” Cotrone said.

The bare-root tree program has roots going back decades. Cotrone, who has worked in Extension for 34 years, began experimenting with community bare-root plantings in 1998, inspired by research from Cornell University. What began in a handful of communities has grown into a statewide effort supported by Extension, nonprofit and government partners.

Cotrone pointed to earlier plantings as an example of long-term impact. In 2003, international students from Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School helped plant more than 20 trees in one morning. Today, those Autumn Blaze maples are about 30 feet tall, providing shade and fall color.

Communities have reported an overall tree survival rate of more than 90%, Cotrone noted.

“We have planted some moderately difficult-to-transplant species and they are surviving, including ginkgo, hackberry, zelkova — even a few hornbeams,” he said. “Our losses are quite low.”

That level of success reflects both planning and program design.

TreePennsylvania manages grant funding, primarily through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Extension provides education and planning support. The grant typically provides 20 to 30 bare-root trees per community.

During the application process, urban forestry extension educators and DCNR service foresters work closely with communities to develop planting plans, select appropriate species, and prepare for delivery and planting. Trees are provided directly, so communities do not need to pay upfront or navigate reimbursement.

Cotrone said the application process is intentionally streamlined. Communities complete a short proposal, often about a page, outlining planting sites and goals.

“For a smaller municipality, this is the perfect grant for them,” Cotrone said. “They don’t need to handle all the paperwork or funding transfers. What the community receives is exactly what they need: trees.”

This spring, about 40 communities participated. Over two days, three refrigerated tractor-trailers made deliveries across the state, stopping at central locations including State College, Harrisburg’s City Island, Allentown and Bethlehem, as well as sites in western and northeastern Pennsylvania. Staff and volunteers unloaded and transported trees to their communities, typically planting within a week.

Some of the trees also are slated for planting at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg following recent construction that required tree replacement.

Penn State Extension offers educational resources to help individuals care for their community’s tree canopy. The Tree Tenders program provides training in proper techniques for planting and maintaining trees, common tree stressors, and how to organize volunteer tree projects.

Communities use the trees in a variety of ways. Some incorporate them into stormwater management projects, often in partnership with conservation districts and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Others focus on replacing hollow park trees or planting along residential streets and school campuses.

Across these efforts, Cotrone said involving residents and students helps build a sense of ownership and pride in their communities.

“If we teach them how to plant and care for trees, we hope they’ll have a sustainable program,” he said. “To me, that’s more important than simply planting large numbers of trees.”

In Wilkes-Barre, for example, horticulture students from a local career and technical center help plant trees along streets they use every day.

“We’re giving students hands-on experience, and they’re learning,” Cotrone said. “That supports workforce development and contributes to downtown beautification and economic impact.”

Communities that start with one 20- or 30-tree project often return to expand their efforts.

“I think there’s more interest than ever,” Cotrone said. “People look at their communities — whether for beautification, stormwater management or economic benefits — and see this as an accessible way to get trees planted.”