Event information

Saturday, July 27
9 a.m. - noon
Harris Field Pavilion
1034 NE 8th Street
Homestead

• Tree species available
  Mango
  Sugar Apple
  Paradise Tree
  Mulberry
  Inkwood

Saturday, Sept. 14
9 a.m. - noon
J.C. Bermudez Park
3000 NW 87 Avenue
Doral

• Tree species available
  Mango
  Longan
  Sapodilla
  Dahoon Holly
  Orange Geiger

Note: Tree species, event dates and times are subject to change.

Eligibility Requirements and Rules

In order to participate:

• Tree quantities are limited at each event and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Residents who may be eligible and are planning to pick up more than four trees (for various properties) at any given event need to call us at 305-372-6784 to make prior arrangements with our staff.
• Participants will be required to present photo identification, i.e. a driver's license with the residential property address indicated on the identification.
• Other forms of identification containing property address information like a utility bill can be accepted as long as a photo ID is also presented.
• Participants must own residential property in Miami-Dade County with sufficient room to plant trees.
• Participants are eligible for 2 free trees per Adopt-a-Tree season (each year), regardless if they adopted in past years.
• If the participant rents the property, they must have written permission from the property owner to pick up the trees. They must present their identification, along with a photocopy of the property owner's identification AND written authorization from the property owner. The Adopt-a-Tree Program will retain the authorization.
• Participants picking up trees for a family member who is the property owner must present their identification, along with a photocopy of the property owner's identification AND written authorization from the property owner. Adopt-a-Tree program will retain authorization.
• Participants who have recently purchased a residential property should bring the bill of sale (a.k.a. HUD1), because the purchase transaction may not appear yet in the county’s records.
• Duplex and Triplex properties have one folio number (as they are on one piece of property); therefore, duplex and triplex (etc.) residential properties will only receive 2 trees (per folio) per year, the same as all other residential properties.
• Apartment buildings and trailers parks do not qualify for the Adopt-a-Tree Program.
• In general, condominium owners are not eligible to receive trees. However, if a condo owner obtains written authorization from the Condo Board to plant the tree(s) in a designated common area (defined by a site plan); they may present such authorization and obtain trees. Adopt-a-Tree program will retain authorization.
• Townhouses (with sufficient room to plant trees) are eligible to receive trees. If a townhouse owner obtains written authorization from their homeowner's association to plant the tree(s) in a designated common area (defined by a site plan); they may present such authorization and obtain trees. Adopt-a-Tree program will retain authorization.

Community Service Hours

Community service hours are available for students who volunteer to work an Adopt-a-Tree event. If you would like to volunteer, fill out the volunteer form  and email it to Sara Hernandez at hernas@miamidade.gov, or fax it to 305-372-6419.

All volunteers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the event.

Receive Updates!

Your contact information will be kept in the Miami-Dade Regulatory and Economic Resources Department's public database and is subject to public records requests. 

Adopt-a-Tree History

Miami-Dade County, long known for its famous beaches and warm winters, is surprisingly lacking in any significant tree cover. A 2008 tree cover analysis by University of Florida and the county’s Environment Resources Management department showed that Miami-Dade's urban areas averaged only 12% tree cover. By way of comparison, other urban areas in the country have as much as a 35% tree canopy. 

There was concern about the additional loss of shade trees caused by the removal of citrus canker impacted trees. In the fall of 2000, the County petitioned the Florida Department of Agriculture for money to begin restoring the communal loss of additional shade.

The Adopt-a-Tree program resulted from the input of community groups, agricultural interests and government agencies seeking to improve the depleted tree canopy in the County. The first Adopt-a-Tree event took place in July 2001, and since then, this program has been working to foster a heightened awareness of the value of shade trees here in Miami-Dade County.

Trees are important for any community, because trees help reduce air-conditioning costs by providing shade to a homeowner’s property. Additionally, a well-landscaped home improves its appearance and helps increase a property's real estate value. Also, trees reduce flooding by absorbing excess rain water.

The program is designed to strengthen the condition of our community's tree canopy. Therefore, the trees selected for "adoption" are ones that make good shade trees in their adulthood. The program provides both native "ornamental" shade trees and a variety of non-citrus fruit trees.

Since Adopt-a-Tree's inception in 2001, 163,937 trees have been distributed to Miami-Dade County residents, making it one of the most popular community programs in the County.

Adopt-a-Tree Partners

The Adopt-a-Tree program could not have achieved its many milestones without the extraordinary support of its partners and sponsors. For this reason, we would like to recognize and thank the organizations listed below. 

For more information on partnership opportunities for the Adopt-a-Tree program, call 305-372-6834.

City of Doral
The City of Doral is one of the top partners of the Adopt-a-Tree program. The city has contributed toward the Adopt-a-Tree program since 2009, and through their valuable sponsoring, the city has helped the Adopt-a-Tree program distribute over 7,000 free trees to the community. Doral was recognized as Tree City USA in 2008, and it was ranked the #2 city among America's Top 25 towns to live well for its cultural amenities, pro-business environments and highly educated workforce by Forbes.com.

Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College has hosted several events at various campuses since 2004. By providing their outstanding facilities, Miami Dade College has helped the Adopt-a-Tree program serve the residents of Miami-Dade County. The distribution of free trees to our various communities is one of the keys to the success of the program. Miami Dade College is the largest and most diverse college in the nation with eight campuses and more than 174,000 students from across the world.

Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light (FPL) has been a sponsor of the Adopt-a-Tree program for many years, helping the program give away more than 163,000 free trees to the residents of Miami-Dade County since 2001. FPL is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL is a leading private employer in the state with more than 10,000 employees. FPL promotes energy conservation through tree plantings and many other outreach programs.

Electronic Recycling Center
Through a partnership with Electronic Recycling Center (ERC), Adopt-a-Tree has been able to save thousands of dollars on its outreach program. As a direct result from these savings, Adopt-a-Tree has been able to continue to extend its services to the community. ERC is a family-owned and operated recycling business. By recycling electronic goods, ERC is helping to reduce any impacts to the environment from the hazardous materials that most electronic products have.

Miami-Dade Community Information & Outreach Department
The Community Information & Outreach Department has been helping County departments create useful information for residents, visitors, businesses and employees since 2001. Since that time, the number of web pages has grown to more than 25,000; among them, the Adopt-a-Tree homepage has remained one of the most popular and visited pages in the County's website.

Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension Service
The Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension Service has been providing expert knowledge and education support for the Adopt-a-Tree program, ensuring that the program supplies the highest quality trees for the community. The Extension Service serves as a liaison between research conducted by scientists at the University of Florida and other universities and Miami-Dade County residents. The Extension Service provides information and education for growers (agricultural and horticultural), homeowners, youth and those interested in food, nutrition and marine life.

Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces
The Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department has hosted numerous events for the Adopt-a-Tree program throughout the County since the program started in 2001. This key partnership has allowed Adopt-a-Tree to reach all corners of our community and blanket the county with thousands of trees for more than 11 years. The Parks Department is a three-time National Gold Medal Award winner (AAPRA and NRPA), a 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award winner, and the only municipal park system its size to be awarded National Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Agencies.

Friends of the Everglades and Operation Green Leaves
These two community organizations have provided valuable education and outreach information for the Adopt-a-Tree program for many years. Their support has been instrumental in educating the community about the importance of a healthy tree canopy for South Florida. Friends of the Everglades is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of South Florida’s Everglades through education and involvement in our community and government. Operation Green Leaves is a local nonprofit organization working at the grassroots level in Haiti and within South Florida's Haitian-American community to help create a sustainable environment and promote economic development, environmental education and awareness.