Commemorative Tree Guidelines

A commemorative tree can be a thoughtful and lasting legacy to a person or an event that has occurred in the lives of families, friends or individuals. Your gift to Arlington County is deeply appreciated and will not only help commemorate the individual, but also beautify our community. Following are the guidelines that will allow you to enjoy the tree while creating a positive impact on the community. 

• You may request a specific type of tree. County staff will evaluate the site to decide if the species is appropriate for the site. If the species is not deemed appropriate, a list of 3 tree species will be provided. If you are unsure of what species to pick, staff can assist. Consider using our Recommended Tree Lists for species selection.  
• The location for the tree will be determined by your suggestions and adjusted to meet the planting policy of the County. Please think of an alternate site should your first site choice not be suitable for planting. 
• The cost of $400 represents the average cost incurred by the County for acquiring and planting the tree. 
• Information on the tree donor, (anonymous donors are accepted), location, and the date the tree is planted can be recorded, for future reference. No plaques or tags are allowed in the area where the tree is planted, as they will cause maintenance issues in the long term. 
• Tree sizes may vary, but start at 1 inch caliper for large canopy trees, and 6 ft tall for small canopy trees.
• Planting will be done only during our contract planting seasons (Spring, between March 1 and May 30) and Fall (Between October 31 and December 15). The last date to apply for a tree in the current calendar year, for the next season is September 1 for Spring of the next year, and June 1 for Fall of the same year.
• Checks should be payable to the “Treasurer - Arlington County”. Send checks to to "Urban Forest Manager, 2700 S Taylor St, Arlington, VA 22206" with notation that the donation is for the commemorative tree program. 
• If the tree does not survive within the first year after planting, replacement will occur once. 
• The tree’s location will be posted on our public tree inventory website.

Thank you for this gift.

Proceed to Commemorative Trees Application