As a City of Swan resident, you are eligible for our Free Trees and Plants Giveaway!
Each year, we give our residents a selection of native, waterwise seedlings that can be planted in gardens across the City.
It’s all part of our plan to conserve the natural environment and increase our urban tree canopy.
Applications for the giveaway open on Monday, February 12, 2024. Residents are eligible for either an urban or rural pack of seedlings, depending on property size.
If you live on a property smaller than 4000sqm, you’re considered an urban resident.
You’re eligible for one of our urban packs which contain a pre-selected assortment of six native species, suitable for smaller properties.
Your pack will include a mix of shrubs, strappy-leafed ground covers and climbers.
You may choose to have a tree in your pack. The tree will be randomly selected from one of these species:
- White-leaved Mallee (1.5-4m high)
- Red-flowered Mallee (2-6m high)
- Drummond's Gum (up to 8m high).
Registrations are now closed
If you live on a property larger than 4000sqm, you’re considered a rural resident.
You’ll be eligible for one of our rural packs. Rural residents must select their top 10 species preferences. View this year’s species.
You’ll be able to choose from shrubs, climbers, ground covers, bushes and trees.
Registrations are now closed
Registrations have now closed
Applications for the Free Trees and Plants Giveaway have closed! Thank you for helping us conserve the natural environment and increase our urban tree canopy with your free plants!
Frequently asked questions
The Free Trees and Plants Giveaway is held in June 2024. Applications for seedlings are open from Wednesday, February 14, 2024 to Sunday, March 31, 2024 or until applications are exhausted.
The Free Tree and Plants Giveaway web page will be updated with the latest information, timelines and when applications open. The application form is online and split into two categories – one for urban residents and one for rural residents.
Please visit one of the City’s libraries and make the most of our free computer and internet resources to complete your application. We will not be able to accept posted or emailed application forms.
If you live on a property smaller than 4000sqm, you’re considered an urban resident and you’ll need to apply for one of our urban packs.
If you live on a property larger than 4000sqm, you’re considered a rural resident and you’ll need to apply for one of our rural packs.
Pre-selection is only available for rural residents.
Rural residents will be able to select preferred species when applying for the program online. This is not an ordering system, where you can select multiples of your preference. It is an indication of your top selection of species i.e. preference to trees over ground covers.
A list of species is available in the application form for you to refer to when you are making your selection.
Urban residents will receive a mix of about six pre-selected Australian native shrubs, strappy-leafed ground covers and climbers. There will also be an option to receive a tree in the pack, should you wish.
We receive over 5,000 applications for the urban program, compared to the 800 we receive for the rural program. The plants chosen for the program are grown in December each year, so they are mature enough for collection in June, long before applications open. Logistically, it is too difficult to sort the 30,000 plants grown for the urban program into packs based on individual choices.
We also take into consideration that rural properties are larger, have different soil specifications and have greater availability to plant trees that can increase the urban growth canopy of the City of Swan.
Rural residents will have one nursery collection day on Saturday, June 8, 2024. You will be able to select your preferred collection time slot when you apply.
The urban program will have up to four collection days:
- Friday, June 21, 2024
- Saturday, June 22, 2024
- Friday, June 28, 2024
- Saturday, June 29, 2024 – if required
This will be a direct to boot distribution using a drive in and drive out system, as per previous years. We ask that you have a cardboard box or tarpaulin in your boot to hold your punnets.
We'll email you closer to the collection dates confirming your collection details including your date, time and reference number. You will need this number to receive your plants.
By providing your mobile number in the application form you will also receive SMS reminders with your collection date, time and reference number.
If you have previously nominated swan@swan.wa.gov.au email address as a spam email, you will not receive your confirmation. Please ensure you have this email selected as an authorised email.
If you are not able to collect on your selected day and time, you can nominate someone (such as a relative or neighbour) to collect on your behalf. If they have your reference number, they will be able to collect your seedlings for you.
If you do not collect your seedlings, you will receive a reminder email after the designated collection period. The nursery will hold allocations for one week so residents can collect direct from the nursery, during their operating hours.
No. The trees and plants are tube stocks and can be easily transported in a cardboard box in your car boot.