The Arbor Day Foundation’s 2026 tree survey is offering region-matched seedlings with a donation ~ but those tiny trees need a little planning before they arrive.
A small seedling may not look like much when it first arrives.
A few roots. A skinny stem. Maybe a handful of leaves.
But give it enough years, and that little tree could become shade over a backyard, a place for birds to nest, a splash of autumn color, or something a future generation remembers long after the person who planted it is gone.
That is part of the idea behind the Arbor Day Foundation’s 2026 Tree Survey, which is currently offering participants 10 trees shipped to their home as a gift when they donate to support the Foundation’s mission. The Foundation says the trees are matched to the recipient’s region using their ZIP code.
The offer is being made directly through the Arbor Day Foundation’s official website. The organization is a nonprofit that says it has spent more than 50 years supporting tree planting and has helped plant more than 500 million trees through its network of partners, members and planting projects.
So Are the Trees Really “Free”?
There is one important detail worth knowing.
The ten trees are described as a free gift with a donation.
In other words, this is not quite the same as filling out a form and having ten completely free trees show up on the doorstep with no contribution involved.
The Foundation says participants take its 2026 tree survey and receive ten trees shipped to their home when they make a donation supporting its mission. The survey page also lists a planting guide and Arbor Day newsletter among the gifts associated with the campaign.
Before planting ten trees simply because ten trees showed up at the house, take a good look around the property.
Think about where each tree will be when it is not two feet tall ~ but 20, 30, 40 or more feet tall.
Consider the house.
Power lines.
Driveways.
Sidewalks.
Septic systems.
Property lines.
Other established trees.
And perhaps most importantly, find out the mature size and growing requirements of whatever species you receive before choosing its permanent home.
The Arbor Day Foundation itself provides planting information and says its members receive access to resources for planning landscapes and caring for trees.
A little planning now could prevent a future homeowner from standing beneath a giant tree someday wondering:
“Who on earth planted THAT there?”
And If You Don’t Have Room for Ten?
The Foundation says its membership program also provides an alternative for people who do not have an appropriate place for seedlings: trees can instead be planted in a forest where they are needed.
That may be worth considering for someone with a small yard, apartment living, or simply more enthusiasm for trees than available acreage.
Because planting a tree is wonderful.
Planting ten trees three feet apart because they looked tiny at the time may eventually become a different kind of story altogether.
A Small Thing That Can Outlive Us
There is something rather remarkable about planting a tree.
Most things we buy begin wearing out almost immediately.
A tree does the opposite.
If all goes well, it becomes larger.
Stronger.
More useful.
More beautiful.
Years pass, and eventually someone may sit beneath its shade who never knew the person who first pushed a shovel into the ground.
Birds may build nests in branches that did not exist when it was planted.
Children may climb it.
Autumn after autumn, its leaves may change color and fall to the ground.
And someday someone may point toward it and say:
“That tree has been there as long as I can remember.”
Not bad for something that once arrived looking like a stick with roots.
The Arbor Day Foundation’s current 2026 Tree Survey offer is legitimate, but remember the important part: the ten trees are offered as a gift with a donation, and the Foundation says they are selected for the recipient’s region.
If you decide to participate, Word ’Round Town recommends going directly through the official Arbor Day Foundation website, especially when entering personal information or making a donation online.
And before those little trees arrive?
You might want to find your shovel.
And perhaps measure the yard.
Twice. 😂🌳
~Deliverance Hope
Word ’Round Town
Northeast Iowa Community Living
word-round-town.com
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There’s always another story waiting just around the corner.