Free Tree Scheme 2026

Our Award-winning Free Tree Scheme is open for applications from 9am Thurs 1st Oct until 5pm Thurs 29 Oct 2026 

The free tree species for 2026 are Wild Service Tree, Spindle, Crab Apple and Holly

As in previous years, you can apply for two trees per household, or 10 if you are applying on behalf of a school, business or community group. Your household or group must be based within the District of South Derbyshire. If not, contact your own authority (where you pay your Council Tax) to find out if they are running a scheme this year.

All the trees are two years old and approximately 30-50cms high.

We also supply information on how to plant and to look after them which you can download from the related documents section.

Our free tree scheme is run in partnership with the National Forest Company.  

We’re interested in the reasons you have taken part in our Free Tree Scheme - we’ve included an option to tell us more on the application form.   

You can also get in touch by email and tell us why trees matter to you: rosliston@southderbyshire.gov.uk

Our ‘giveaway’ dates and venues are: 

Free Tree Giveaway dates and venues

Trees will only be available on these dates, and any that are not collected will be sold to raise funds to support volunteering with the Environmental Education Project.

• We will label the trees for you
• Please bring a carrier bag to put them in
• Please look out for and follow any signage / other instructions
• Please be prepared to queue at busy times

Please note: when you order your trees you should get a confirmation email within a few minutes. Unless there is a problem with your order, or we run out of trees, this will be the only communication you receive from us.

If you do not receive the confirmation email please contact us directly by email: rosliston@southderbyshire.gov.uk and we will check the database to make sure we have received your order.

Click on the link to order your trees, then write the dates in your diary because every year a lot of people forget to collect them! 

Place your order now (Orders will open 1st Oct)

We have been running the scheme for many years and we would love to see any photos you have of trees you have planted in previous years.

Please share your photos to our Facebook page: ‘Environmental Education Project at Rosliston Forestry Centre’  

or Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/environmentaleducationproject

What is on offer?  

WILD SERVICE TREE   Sorbus torminalis

The Wild Service Tree is a beautiful tall tree, growing up to 25 metres in height, so only suitable for large gardens.

It is a fairly rare tree, often an indicator of ancient woodlands. Its common name is ‘’checkers’’, which we think comes from the distinctive checked patterning on the bark. The berries are brown and oval shaped and can be used in some woodland recipes. As with all native woodland trees it benefits garden wildlife too.

We have included it in the scheme this year as we’d like to see more of them in the South Derbyshire & National Forest area.

COMMON SPINDLE Euonymus europaeus

Spindle is a small deciduous tree, usually reaching 3 to 6 m tall. The flowers are small, yellowish green and grow in clusters in late spring. They are pollenated by insects.

Spindle is at its most colourful in autumn and really stands out. The fruit is bright reddish purple or pink in colour and approximately 1 to 1.5 cm wide. When ripe, the four lobes split open to reveal the bright orange seeds (not edible for humans!). In autumn the leaves turn a beautiful bright red colour.

CRAB APPLE  Malus sylvestris

The crab apple is a medium-sized pretty deciduous tree that grows to a height of around 5m. White flowers open in clusters during April- May, followed by small hard edible fruits during autumn. The apples are too sour to eat raw, but they can be made into jelly or added to other fruit when jam-making to improve the ‘set’.

It is a good tree for wildlife, as bees and other insects visit the flowers and birds and small mammals will eat the fruit.

HOLLY  Ilex aquifolium

The holly is an attractive evergreen garden tree which can reach up to 20m in height, so is classed a medium to large tree. However, it is slow growing and easy to trim to the size or shape you want.

Trees are either male or female – with berries appearing in the autumn on the female trees (but only if they have been pollinated by a male tree growing nearby).

We can’t tell whether the young holly trees we receive are male or female.

Your new trees are two years old and approximately 30-50cm high. Treat them gently, as rough handling or being dropped can shock the roots, and it will take the trees longer to get established.

General planting advice:

• If planting directly into the ground, check distance from your own and your neighbour’s property

• Make sure your hole is big enough for all the roots to fit in comfortably

• Once planted, press the soil down firmly around the stem, making sure the roots are fully covered but that all of the stem is above the soil level

• If the soil is dry, water the tree when you have planted it.

For the first couple of years:

• Weed carefully around the base of the tree

• Water the tree during long spells of warm dry weather

Safe Planting distances (or put the tree in a large pot!)

Remember your neighbour’s property too, when you plant!

Safe planting distances depend on the depth of your foundations and the type of soil. Shallow foundations eg for conservatories and clay soil require the greatest minimum planting distance, making sure the tree is as far from a building as it will eventually grow in height.

If your foundations are deeper than 1m, or if you intend to prune the tree to restrict its height, you can plant closer to buildings than the recommended minimum distances.

Recommended minimum planting distance from buildings:

Wild Service Tree: at least 15 metres  

Spindle: 3m

Crab Apple: 5-7metres

Holly: 7 metres 

OR trees can be as close to buildings as you want if you plant them in a large pot on a paved area!

Source for information and images: Cheviot Trees, Woodgrow Horticulture Limited, the Woodland Trust and other advisory websites

We’d love to know how you get on with your trees!

Facebook: Environmental Education Project at Rosliston Forestry Centre, SDDC 

Instagram: @Environmentaleducationproject 

LinkedIn: Environmental Education Project at Rosliston Forestry Centre, SDDC

You can download this information as a PDF by clicking here ^{(pdf, 453kb)}

The document also includes planting and tree care information

Gallery images:

Autumn leaves - Amy Bennett;  Wild Service leaf silhouettes - Dan Abrahams; Wild Service leaves and fruit - Roger Butterfield; others SDDC/ EEP stock