Wow, Tucson really loves trees!
Due to an overwhelming number of recent tree orders, our Trees for You program is now closed for the spring planting season. We plan to re-open the program on September 1, 2019 for the fall planting season.
Civano Nursery, which grows the trees for our program, is working hard to fill the 3,000+ orders we’ve received before the hot weather arrives. Planting during the summer months is not recommended due to the low survival rate of trees. Some customers may be offered a substitute variety if the type of tree they ordered is out of stock.
Thank you for your understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience.
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For more than a decade, Tucson Electric Power has encouraged the planting of shade trees as a cool way to reduce energy use and preserve the environment.
Through TEP’s Trees for You program, residential customers may order up to three 5-gallon shade trees at a discounted price of $5 each by logging into My Account. Trees are available to order from September 1 until May 31 (summer plantings tend to have a low survival rate).
Depending on availability, customers can choose from a wide range of species, including Arizona ash and cypress, Chinese elm or pistache, desert willow, palo verde, honey or native mesquite, southern live oak, sweet acacia and Texas ebony, among others. Please see My Account for the most up-to-date list of available trees.
Shade trees should be ready for pick up in approximately five weeks from the order date. Customers will receive a confirmation email after they place their order and another email when the trees are ready to be picked up at one of five area nurseries: Civano Nursery, Harlow Gardens, Rillito Nursery, Native Gardens of Green Valley or EcoGro, LLC, which was recently added.
TEP also gives away free trees at several home shows and community events throughout the year.
“Planting trees is a natural way to realize energy savings,” said Nikole White, Trees for You Program Manager. “Trees create a canopy that reduces heat gain and helps cool homes and neighborhoods in the summer. In the winter, deciduous trees that lose their leaves help keep your home warmer by allowing sunlight to enter the home to create radiant heat.”
The program is extremely popular with customers, who like the idea of saving energy and preserving the environment in a natural, sustainable way. Trees provide habitat for wildlife, help control erosion and storm runoff, and clean the air by reducing greenhouse gases.
Since the program began in 2008, TEP has contributed to the planting of more than 121,000 trees.
“Our shade tree program has been so successful because people enjoy beautifying their landscaping and neighborhood while doing something good for the environment and saving energy,” said White. “They’re ‘going green’ and feeling good about it.”
After customers order trees, TEP lets them know by email when their order is ready for pickup at one of five area nurseries: our partner nursery, Civano, in addition to Harlow Gardens, Rillito Nursery, Native Gardens of Green Valley and EcoGro, LLC, which was recently added.
To maximize energy savings, trees should be planted within 15 feet of the south, east or west sides of your home or building. The best times to plant trees to encourage root development are early spring and late fall.
