Illinois
Tree rebates and free trees in Illinois
8 programs in Illinois pay residents for trees. 4 list themselves as open now, and the median maximum is $300 per household.
Utilities, cities and state forestry agencies give away trees or rebate part of the price, mostly to add shade on the south and west sides of homes. Free-tree programs often deliver a young tree in a 5-gallon pot and ask you to plant and water it.
8 programs
- Open
Village of Glenview Tree Planting Incentive Program
Village of Glenview
50% reimbursement of tree planting cost, up to $300
Up to $300 per household
- Open
City of Chicago Free Parkway Tree Request (Our Roots Chicago)
City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, Bureau of Forestry
Free parkway tree planted by the City
- Open
City of Evanston Free Parkway Tree Planting
City of Evanston Forestry (Public Works)
Free parkway tree (about 500 planted citywide each year)
- Open
Village of Skokie Free Parkway Tree Planting
Village of Skokie Public Works Forestry Division
Free parkway tree planted by the Village (formerly 50/50 cost-share)
- Seasonal
City of Naperville Parkway Tree 50/50 Cost-Share
City of Naperville Public Works
50/50 cost share; dollar figures not published on page
- Seasonal
City of Wheaton Shared Cost Parkway Tree Planting Program
City of Wheaton Forestry Division
Resident pays $120 per tree; City funds the remainder (City planned to help fund up to 250 trees in 2026)
- Seasonal
MWRD Restore the Canopy Free Sapling Giveaway
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
Free native saplings (per-person limit not published)
- Seasonal
Village of Harwood Heights Free Parkway Tree Planting Program
Village of Harwood Heights with Morton Arboretum and Chicago Region Trees Initiative
Free tree
Other Illinois programs
- Rain barrels and cisterns 2
- Rain gardens and stormwater projects 4
- Electric lawn equipment 1
- Invasive plant removal 1
Sow is not affiliated with any of these agencies or utilities. Amounts and rules change, often at the start of a fiscal year, so confirm the details on the official page before you start a project. How we research these programs
Plan the project before you apply
Sow lays out your new planting on a photo of your yard and builds the plant list from plants suited to where you live.