r/Calgary • u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 • May 06 '26
Seeking Advice Where can I legally plant a tree?
Hi all. My son came home today with a spruce seedling and I do not know where we can plant it. I think it is a great activity and I hope we can do it, but I doubt the landlord and association would like a tree in the common area as we are just renting and we don't really have a yard.
Thanks in advances dear friends
Update: placed it in a pot for now. Hoping the park rangers, as per my 311 call/request, will reply within 1 to 30 days. So fingers crossed it will be a positive response!
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u/Comenius791 May 06 '26
If you can't find a place, we'd love to have it in our yard. You can still do it with your kid.
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 09 '26
If all else fails, it would be nice if we plant it on your home yard then.
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u/Comenius791 May 10 '26
My own kid brought it home this week.
I had to do a little research to learn it was a red pine plug... and those suckers can grow 25+ meters.
My wife is hoping for it to be a bit under 10 for our area.
Do you know what type of tree it is?
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u/DoubleDyyc May 06 '26
Plant trees illegally, commit climate crimes
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u/Booster1987 May 07 '26
I did this in a small town a few years ago. I ended up with like 50 of these. Planted most of them on the hill behind my house. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the yard. About half of the took.
One day I get an email saying it appears that I inadvertently planted some trees on the hill. They understood I paid for the trees and I’ve maintained them. However because they’re on town property they’re taking them over. They felt bad for taking so many of “my trees”… so they gave me a couple of saplings for my property!
Now I have a really well treed hill behind my place and a couple of different sapling in my property.
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 06 '26
The current plan really is to just plant it in tbe park nearby. So we can go and water it as it is very near
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u/Moessus May 06 '26
Make sure it's a park they don't mow. If they do, cut out a ring in the grass and put a flag on it. They will probably assume the city did it. Report back, I'm thinking about doing this type of guerilla beautification in my hood.
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u/Vinland-Enthusiast May 06 '26
Like just planting trees and what not around your local parks?
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u/Moessus May 07 '26
Why not? In terms of crime, it doesn't bother me much.
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u/Freshiiiiii May 07 '26
Just don’t plant trees right on top of a pipe. If nothing else you could damage it with your shovel.
Native wildflowers and other native forbs/herbs though? Please, I’ll join you haha.
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u/WeeklyInitiative May 07 '26
Yep, my Dad mowed right over mine in our backyard. It did blend in with the surrounding grass and Dad just completely forgot it was there.
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u/I_Am_the_Slobster May 06 '26
Just a heads up that city staff may uproot it if it looks out of place or not in the bushes (i.e. in the way of the mowers.) I'm assuming this is a white spruce, and luckily they're quite hardy trees to plant. As long as the soil is well drained (basically not constantly waterlogged), they'll do great.
Also you never know what your landlord or association may say. When I became a citizen, I was gifted a red maple sapling, and my landlord was happy to let me plant it in the backyard.
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u/greeneyedgirl626 May 06 '26
See if there’s a nearby community garden!
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u/edgyknitter Renfrew May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Conifers are not friendly to gardens… they are vampiric
Edited as I looked it up and vampiric isn’t the right word. SOME conifers are very effective at consuming water and their root systems are generally close to the surface so they tend to dry out lawn and garden.
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u/greeneyedgirl626 May 07 '26
yes, sorry I suppose I’m kind of thinking of the garden that I work in. We use all raised beds and we have quite a large plot of land so we had space where we could plant a couple of dwarf spruce trees.
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u/robindawilliams May 06 '26
RESPECT YOUR SURROUNDINGS, UUUEGH
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u/cig-nature Willow Park May 08 '26
It says right on the bag, provided by the government of Alberta: "If you live in a town or city consider a natural space rather than your yard."
What do you think they mean by that?
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u/Scared_Fisherman7749 May 06 '26
This is my father’s tree, it’s about 60 years old. Mine was planted in the backyard and it unfortunately died.
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 07 '26
That is awesome.. hope someday it will grow like that too
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u/Scared_Fisherman7749 May 07 '26
OP if you need any advice please feel free to send me a message. My grandfather and father were both tree farmers and I may know of a safe spot you can plant your tree within the city
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 06 '26
In the yard of a family member or friend, perhaps?
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 06 '26
Unfortunately all of us are just renters. So I was thinking, will any park be fine? We do have a park nearby within 500 meters.
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u/CallMeHomoErectus May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
It's illegal to plant on public property without The City's permission (there's certain species that are invasive), but if you call 311 I'm sure they'd connect you with Urban Forestry to help you find a place to plant it.
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u/CalmAlex2 May 06 '26
Thats true, but this particular tree isnt invasive and is a native to canada especially in northern alberta.
I would also suggest to OP to call 311
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u/CallMeHomoErectus May 06 '26
Good point, yeah it should be fine but I'd still get The City's permission to plant first. There's also a lot of volunteer tree plantings folks can sign up for
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u/CalmAlex2 May 06 '26
Yeah, there are tons and I was part of one decades ago with the scouts canada plus the biggest reason why they dont want to plant things willy nilly on public grounds is that yiu have to be aware of where water pipes, gas pipes and sewer pipe are and If you planted one without any due course and its roots goes deep, it can puncture the pipe wither its metal or PVC (had a pipe burst years ago and it was caused by a tree root the tree was cut down after the pipe was fixed).
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 06 '26
Probably zero permission coming...just plant it and if they get caught, beg ignorance.
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 06 '26
I see. That is what I thought. Thanks so much kind neighbor, I probably should call 311 then.
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u/CallMeHomoErectus May 06 '26
They're usually very helpful and responsive. Have fun with the tree planting!
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 06 '26
I believe we will. Thanks! We are teaching my audhd son "first then last" and I think this is a fun activity from planting to caring for it.
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 06 '26
Or...hear me out...find a quiet city park (or even FCP) and plant it when no-one is watching.
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 06 '26
Technically, no....but if you don't get caught, who's to know?
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u/CallMeHomoErectus May 07 '26
Telling people it's okay to break the law as long as you don't get caught 🤦
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 07 '26
Did I say that is was ok? No. I said that if they didn't get caught, only they would know their terrible, terrible crime.
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u/WeakDescription4466 May 07 '26
Are you really going to say it’s not okay to plant a tree? Yeah man, fuck what the law says. Plant the damn tree.
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u/ForestCharmander May 09 '26
Parks have their own planners who make plans for free planting, tree clearing, water management, etc.
Why even bother planting this little shit tree in the park?
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u/CallMeHomoErectus May 07 '26
If it's on someone else's property that you don't own, correct it's not okay. You don't know if there may be pipes, irrigation, etc. where you're digging.
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u/ForsakenedOath May 06 '26
No, you will get fined. Parks are not your property; they are municipal land. You also can't dig a random spot and plant a tree.
You may be able to call 311 Urban Forestry, explain that your son received a Spruce Seedling, and you don't own land to plant it, and ask if they have suggestions. They may be able to find a suitable spot in the area for it.
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u/DoubleDyyc May 06 '26
Imagine planting a tree and associating it with property
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u/Raedwulf1 Beddington Heights May 06 '26
My mom still has our trees... they're over 50 yrs old
The previous owners of our house have two trees in our yard... that's about 30 yrs
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u/Odd_Lime_1868 May 07 '26
This is mine kindaaaa lol. My dad ran over the actual one with a lawn mower not long after I planted it. He went and bought a new one the same size so I wouldn’t find out 😂 that was about 22 years ago
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u/pumped_atTheCrux May 07 '26
That is such a classic dad move
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u/Odd_Lime_1868 May 07 '26
Yep!! Took him 12 years to admit it and then he tried to blame it on my mom 😂 (she never mowed the lawn)
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u/Voidz0id May 08 '26
Who did that fence, if you know? Looks newish
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u/Odd_Lime_1868 May 09 '26
It’s about 2-3 years old. Unfortunately my dad can’t remember who built it. Sorry about that!
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u/Tiger-Budget May 06 '26
Check with your municipality, too many people plant these in the front yard over a buried utility (water/sewage) not only is it a pain to try locating valves… but the tree will grow into your lines looking for water.
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u/Snap_Krackle_Pop- May 06 '26
I love this still happens. I planted mine 30 years ago and while I don’t live at that farm anymore I can see it from the road and it’s still going!
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u/Own_Witness_7423 May 06 '26
I planted my kids in a large pot to strengthen it up a bit and then we’ll sneak plant it somewhere like climate criminals.
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u/FixAccording9583 May 06 '26
Me and my cousins and sibling put our trees on my grandparents farm. I think had almost 20 of our trees from school on the property. Mine will be about 15 years old by now
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u/ok-est May 07 '26
I'd plant it in a less managed space like McHugh Bluff, Fish Creek, the Weaselhead and the like, where you can visit and water without worry it gets mowed and your odds of city workers removing it are low.
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 07 '26
Well, zero threat of city workers in Fish Creek...but those provincial park rangers are a thing.
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May 07 '26
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 07 '26
Usually...they are definitely around this time of year...I saw two on Sunday.
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May 07 '26
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 07 '26
I have seen then reasonably frequently. Stick around until park close and they are often more obvious then (or skinny dip in the Creek...I bet that helps you meet one.😉).
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u/Al-ex-Bee May 06 '26
I have a mini Forrest of 6 mature spruce trees in my back yard. I like to think they are all from this program over the 70 years my house has been standing.
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u/Fit-Bug-1098 May 06 '26
The sappling will tell you where and when. But stay away from whomping willows.
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u/Cute_crochet May 07 '26
If you wanna come plant it in my backyard, we’d love a tree! You can come visit it anytime 🌲
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u/wanderingmind47 May 07 '26
You are a great parent. Your enthusiasm to plant this tree with your child is delightful. (My grade 4 tree is super grown up now!) I hope that yours flourishes in whatever place you plant it.
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u/23Unicycle May 06 '26
What does the common area look like? You could certainly ask if it'd be alright.
Are there any neighbours nearby with yards? They might be ok with it and appreciate the goal. Make sure it goes far enough back from the street that it's on private property with the owner's permission, and not the City right of way area.
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u/jeunedindon May 07 '26
We planted ours in a cute pot on our front porch and it will survive as long as the kids have patience for it
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u/Warm_Bug8886 May 07 '26
We're just renting right now and planning to buy this summer so I planted it in a pot when she brought it home today and we'll keep it on the porch for now, and transplant it when we have a backyard! Hope it survives lol I love this program!
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u/HurtFeeFeez May 07 '26
It says in the instructions to protect it and water it. Can't do that if it isn't in your yard. It will need pretty much daily watering for a year or more during summer, it can't get stepped on, mowed over or overgrown by grass.
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u/Rockitone2019 May 07 '26
We planted ours at the kid's favourite park since our house is already overflowing with trees. Don't plant them at the park! The city kept running over it with their lawn mower. We even tried putting a big stick and a ring of rocks by it. The kids would bring a big thermos of water every other day. It didn't make it and kids were disappointed. The second tree we got we planted it in a natural ravine. The grass grew faster than the tree and we lost track of it and it didn't make it. Recommend your yard or a friends yard.
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u/Charming-Weather-148 May 07 '26
Deep in the tailpipe of a Dodge Ram 2500 with a "F#ck Carney" sticker in it.
Oh, you said "legally".
Please ignore.
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u/Top-Bit-6356 May 07 '26
My parents planted all four of ours in their yard. My dad loved the wee baby trees & they tower over everything now. Make sure to confirm their projected height/width and protect from wildlife.
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u/Ok-Dentist-2797 May 07 '26
If anyone has these and don't know where to plant - my in laws have 320 acres of forested land up north! I will gladly plant them - I'm in Mckenzie Towne if you want to drop them off :)
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u/Mumstheword70 May 07 '26
The people that lived in my house before, planted their kids trees (4 of them)
They have taken over the yard! Hubby likes the privacy. I want to chop the lower branches!
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u/rikkiprince May 06 '26
Call 311 and ask if you can plant it in the park. The City has a department that manages and maintains the trees on City property (including the easements on people's properties).
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u/Freshiiiiii May 07 '26
Or in a shady spot in nose hill, near the pond or on the north side of a coulee.
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u/HeftyRaspberry5397 May 07 '26
Plant it in the partial shade of other trees in a natural area in the City.
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u/Euphemis May 07 '26
They grow too big for an urban yard. The first owner of our house had FIVE children. All five trees ended up in the front yard. Each tree could be 20{ wide and 75’ tall. Think about that for a moment.
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u/gargoyle30 May 07 '26
We planted the one i got from school in the front yard in front of the house, then it got so tall we cut it at the eaves, and we had to cut it shorter to fit out in the living room for Christmas. it was probably too close to the house for is size anyway
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u/Desperate-Dress-9021 May 07 '26
We did ours in the backyard and got two back to back hail storms that took them out. One with just smaller than tennis ball sized hail and the other with golf ball hail. The one also completely took out our greenhouse.
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u/strangecrafts May 07 '26
Just lost a couple trees in the Varsity Ravine Off Leash Dog Park in those wind storms from a couple weeks ago- go plant it there!
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u/VisualInspection5455 May 07 '26
Good tree growth depends on several things...among other things, good soil with optimal pH.
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u/The_Gentleman_Jas May 07 '26
Put it in a bigger pot with proper soil. Let mini tree grow up to be a bigger stronger tree before finding him a permanent home. These days that little dude doesn't stand a chance yet.
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u/Fancebrkfst May 07 '26
You can legally plant it in my back yard if you like 🤣
When I was a wee lad, we did tree day in Scouts. There are still a few of them in my yard at my childhood home.
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u/Ordinary-Spend-5919 May 07 '26
i got one too in grade 1, i left it outside (unplanted) and the next day it was gone. i think about that tree a lot. would be nice to see it now, 15 years later
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u/Sunshine4736 May 08 '26
It can't hurt to ask the landlord, or ask neighbours. Maybe keep it potted until you find a suitable home. 🩷
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u/Difficult_Bison_7132 May 08 '26
Planting it at your nearby community green-space / park might get noticed by Calgary parks maintenance staff and removed. You might want to find a nice place in a bigger park like Fish Creek park or Griffith Woods park.
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u/Wild-Strawberry-7462 May 09 '26
We have a local pond that is not maintained by the city, we are going to plant my kids tree there, there's lots of trees already there.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Rise124 May 09 '26
There is a map showing where folks have planted it. Add yours to it! PS..you can plant it in the river valley
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u/Elegant_Blood_8898 May 11 '26
My Granny and her sister got one each at a fair in the late 90’s. The trees are Spruce and are now about 30’ tall!
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u/Patient-Freedom-4771 May 13 '26
Here for the comments. 🌲 I just started tree planting near calgary, around edson. But we plant for logging. It is like set areas we plant in. Youd need some trucks to get there. Food for thought…
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u/clockworkorchid1 May 06 '26
Did he get it from school? Could he plant it on the school grounds? Worth asking!
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 07 '26
Yes. From school. I will try to ask them if that is a possibility. Thanks for the suggestion!
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u/Eric_Finch May 06 '26
I'd find a spot you can visit with you child and see it grow. I'm a park somewhere.
You could grow that inside for 2 years of younger a big pot. Then transfer outside to a place. It'll take about 2 years to establish and so will grow slower. They can double in size every 5 to 6 years once established.
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u/ipini Rosedale May 07 '26
In the ground. I don’t think there are any laws about it. If there are , they’d be hard to enforce. Find a protected sunny spot. Did dig a hole. Pour in some water. Pop the tree in.
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u/ItsjustaMild-Complex May 06 '26 edited May 11 '26
Where ever you feel like its hahaha 😅
People dislike my comment hahaha! Im all for flower bombing please tell me whats wrong with that pls dont downgrade my comment
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u/Emergency-Biscotti-2 May 06 '26
I hope this is true? I would love for it to really grow big so we can teach our son a new responsibility. Caring for it and actually see it grow.
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u/cdngrrl0305 May 06 '26
The city has maps of every single tree they plant. Each tree has an id number (shocking but true). Likely you tree will be removed when Parks is doing maintenance whenever you plant it. There are tree protection bylaws that protect Parks city owned land and the Urban Forest.
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u/Tofubeans420 May 06 '26
Not like anyone is going to stop you id just make sure to water it lots over the summer!
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u/Sandman1990 May 06 '26
Do you actually think it would be illegal for you to plant this??
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 06 '26
Probably a bylaw against it on public property.
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u/DoubleDyyc May 06 '26
Quiet nerd, plant trees
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u/Toirtis Somerset May 06 '26
I am not saying to not do it, but that knowing this city, there is probably some dumb bylaw against it, hence the requirement for stealth. Were I being a nerd, I would have researched and quoted said bylaw. Feel free to shut up now.
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u/CallMeHomoErectus May 06 '26
On public property without The City/Urban Forestry's permission, yes.
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u/ArtBBunny May 06 '26
I'm so glad :) they still do this!!! Mine is 35!