A Healthier Tree Canopy, One Tree at a Time

October 14, 2025

Arborist high up in tree with a chain saw

Metro Blooms is working with residents in and near North Minneapolis to replace condemned ash trees and plant new ones that will strengthen the future canopy. These projects are about more than trees—they’re about community, care, and resilience.

Metro Blooms is well-known for rain gardens and native plantings for pollinators, but trees are just as vital to the resilient landscapes we create with communities. This season, we’ve been connecting with residents in communities impacted by environmental justice, mostly in North Minneapolis, about their trees. Through two projects, we’re helping residents remove condemned trees and choose new trees for their yards. One tree at a time, we’re helping to transform the future canopy.

The projects share similar goals: creating a more resilient tree canopy while supporting residents who may not be able to afford costly tree removals and plantings. Most of the condemned trees are ash, a species vulnerable to the emerald ash borer (EAB), resulting in the removal of thousands of ash trees in North Minneapolis. We discuss participants’ priorities for the kind of tree they want and offer a variety of native species. By introducing a greater diversity of species, we reduce risks of a single pest like EAB devastating the tree canopy.

Education and tree choices

Person surrounded by tree planting items — Jason and trees ready to plant

Education is a big part of both programs, with residents learning about the impact of emerald ash borer, how to care for trees and benefits of trees, including how trees can impact a home’s energy costs.

“A lot of people don’t know that once the tree gets bigger, it can help you with your energy bill. The tree shades your house and you don’t have to run your AC as much in the summer,” Laila says.

Choosing a tree is a collaborative process. We listen to homeowners’ needs, then share information to help them make a decision. It requires considering conditions like soil, sunlight and available space while thinking far ahead into the future. Trees have not only large crowns but also massive root systems that can affect foundations and utilities as they mature. “The issue is putting the right tree in the right spot so it’s not causing issues down the road,” Jason says.

The role of the tree is another factor in the planning process. For example, for someone who wants a tree that helps save on energy bills, Jason suggests placing it on the south or west side of a house to lower summer cooling costs. He recommends strategically placed arborvitae, a dense evergreen, for privacy.

Laila says some homeowners choose fruit trees for their food value. One participant wanted a plum tree close enough to her neighbor so the neighbor could also pick the plums.

Jason and Laila have each created resources on available trees so residents can make informed, long-term choices.

Resident impact

Newly planted tree in a front yard

Laila is struck by participants’ gratitude. Some residents have mentioned receiving quotes for tree removals in the thousands of dollars. One homeowner had 10 ash trees to remove. Another had just moved into a new home when she learned she was responsible for removing a dead tree. “That was a huge burden on top of moving to this brand-new house,” Laila says.

Jason has found that some homeowners are initially reluctant to receive a new tree, often worried about maintenance. Providing information and support can make the difference. For example, for each tree we provide 15-gallon “tree donuts” that slowly release water, making watering easier.

“We set them up as best we can for success,” Jason says.

Tree removals bring mixed emotions, especially for people removing an old tree that has provided shade and beauty for years.

“Some people are really sad that they have to take down their trees, because some of these trees were really beautiful at one point,” Laila says. Though she also feels regret at taking down old trees, she imagines the future when the new trees mature.

Looking ahead

So far, through the two programs, 35 trees have been removed and 80 trees planted. Most trees planted are native, and the diversity of trees contributes to a more sustainable canopy for the future.

For Laila, though, these projects are not just about the trees. She points out that people like to gather around and be under trees. “Trees bring people a sense of community,” she says.

Laila envisions, in 15 years, the trees growing big, strong and healthy. “I hope to see kids playing under these trees that I helped plant,” Laila says. “I hope they’re still standing—and there are no other new diseases that cause us to take them down and start this whole process again.”

Black Ash Basket Weaving

Person basket weaving — Lalia at basket-weaving

As we work to care for trees in our communities, we’re also learning from the ways people have long connected with them.

Last winter, we partnered with the Little Earth Residents Association for a basket weaving workshop with artist Liandra Skenandore, an enrolled tribal citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a descendent of the Prairie Band Potawatomi, Muscogee Creek, and Seminole Nations.

Over two days, Liandra guided 12 participants in weaving black ash baskets while sharing her process for harvesting and preparing the material. Our Community Relations team supported the workshop, and shared information about black ash trees in our environment and the threat they face from the emerald ash borer, as well as our connections to trees. Poet Louise Waakaa’igan also provided cultural support.

Among takeaways shared by the new basket weavers were an appreciation for basketry and cultural knowledge, a sense of pride in creating something new and how powerful and strong trees are.

This fall we’ll be hosting two more workshops with Liandra for community members at Little Earth and in North Minneapolis. This work is supported by the City of Minneapolis City Trees Program.

— by Aleli Balagtas, Metro Blooms Editor