Tree & Bench Donations

 

Honor a special person or commemorate a birthday or anniversary
by donating a tree or park bench in one of our parks!

Tree Donation

Trees are sold at cost, prices range from $250 – $450, depending on the type of species selected and size of tree. Tree donations are accepted year-round, but are only planted during the last two weeks of June and the first two weeks of October (weather permitting). Evergreens are only planted during the October planting weeks. All newly planted trees will have a 25 gallon water bag placed at the base of their trunk and regularly watered for the first two years or until established. Should your donated tree become damaged or die, it will be replaced at no cost to you. Peripheral plantings, landscape enhancements, or markers are not permitted.

Tree and Bench Donation Form 2021

Tree Varieties

Click on the link to learn more about a specific tree variety.

Flowering Trees Shade Trees Shade Trees Shade Trees
Eastern Redbud Royal Frost Birch Hickory – Pecan Paperbark Maple
White Redbud Japanese Whitespire Birch Hickory – Shagbark Black Oak
Appalachian Red Redbud Bald Cypress ‘Shawnee Brave’ American Hornbeam Chinkapin Oak
Forest Pansy Redbud Catalpa Katsura Tree English Oak
Flowering Cherry ‘Kwanzan’ Catalpa Purple Hybrid Kentucky Coffee Tree Red Oak
Flowering Cherry ‘Pink Flair’ Dawn Redwood Maple ‘Deborah’ Shingle Oak
Flowering Cherry ‘Yoshino’ Hybrid Elm Sugar Maple Swamp White Oak
Weeping Cherry ‘Snow Fountains’ Ginkgo ‘Autumn Gold’ Sugar Maple ‘Fall Fiesta’ White Oak
Weeping Cherry ‘Pink Cascade’ Ginkgo ‘Princeton Sentury’ Sugar Maple ‘Green Mountain’ Morton Circle Plane Tree
Flowering Crab Ginkgo ‘Presidential Gold’ Tatarian Maple ‘Hot Wings’ Morton Euclid Plane Tree
Japanese Tree Lilac Hackberry Tree Red Maple ‘Autumn Blaze’ Sterling Silver Linden
Serviceberry Hackberry – Chicagoland Red Maple ‘Celebration’ Sweetgum
Ohio Buckeye Red Maple ‘Northwood’ Sycamore
Red Buckeye Red Maple ‘Redpointe’ Tulip Tree

Bench Donation

The Memorial Bench Program is in the process of being phased out as the parks have reached their capacity for bench structures. What we can offer to you is to adopt any remaining benches that exist within the parks that have not been designated as memorial benches. The cost to adopt a bench is $150 plus the cost of the plaque. Once the last bench has been adopted, memorial benches will no longer be offered. Thank you to all who have purchased and adopted benches, you have provided many places for people to sit, rest, chat and enjoy the beauty within our parks.

Personalized Bronze Plaque

Tree and bench donations can be personalized with a bronze plaque, which is also sold at cost. Plaques are placed at the base of the trees or attached to the bench back. The plaques require 5 weeks production.

Tree & Bench Donation Warranty

Tree and bench donations, including the personalized plaque, has a ten year limited warranty.   The District will notify the person who donated the tree or bench if it has to be removed due to age or disease after the warranty has expired.  If a tree, bench, or plaque is damaged by Park District staff, contractor, or vandals, it will be replaced regardless of the ten year warranty.