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Trees for You

Shade your home for cool energy savings.

Thank you for your interest in TEP's Trees for You program, which helps reduce urban heat while beautifying your neighborhood and providing a habitat for wildlife. Due to a recent surge in tree orders, we are reducing the maximum order per customer to two shade trees to ensure as many customers as possible have the opportunity to participate in this energy-saving program. Thank you for your understanding.

TEP’s Trees for You program offers customers a wide selection of shade trees at a discounted price through our partnership with Civano Nursery and other local nurseries. Trees are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

This program encourages homeowners, schools, businesses and community groups to plant shade trees to help them save energy and beautify their neighborhoods. TEP has distributed more than 152,000 shade trees across metropolitan Tucson since 1992.

Shade Tree Benefits

Shade trees create a beautiful canopy, enhancing the local landscape. They provide a natural habitat for wildlife, reduce erosion and water runoff, and purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide.

Trees also help TEP customers conserve energy by keeping homes and businesses cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. They reduce urban heat created by the radiant energy absorbed by structures, walls and pavement.

Order Your Trees

TEP residential customers may order up to two 5-gallon shade trees for a discounted price of $5 each by logging into My Account. Please be certain of your selections as orders cannot be changed once placed and there are no exchanges.

Depending on availability, customers may choose from a variety of seasonal, year-round and deciduous trees such as:

  • Arizona Ash
  • Bubba
  • Bubba Jones
  • Joan Lionetti
  • Lacebark Elm
  • Native Mesquite
  • Pomegranate
  • Shoal Creek Vitex
  • Sweet Bubba

TEP will notify you by email when your order is ready for pickup at one of these five participating nurseries:

  • Harlow Gardens, serving central and downtown Tucson
    5620 E. Pima St., Tucson, AZ
  • Tucson Cactus & Koi, serving northwest Tucson and Oro Valley
    7810 N. Oracle Rd., Oro Valley, AZ
  • Civano Nursery, serving eastern Tucson
    5301 S. Houghton Road, Tucson, AZ
  • EcoGro, LLC, serving downtown and central Tucson
    657 W. St. Mary’s Road, Tucson, AZ 85701
  • Native Gardens of Green Valley
    20 N. La Canada Drive, Green Valley, AZ

Planting Guidelines and Requirements

To qualify for the rebate, trees must be planted within 15 feet of the structure’s west, east or south sides to provide shade during the summer months. Planting locations may be checked by TEP to verify program compliance.

Trees also must be planted at least 10 feet from sewer lines, 5 feet from water lines and 3 feet from all other utility lines. Do not plant trees under any overhead utility lines and maintain a safe distance from chimneys, power lines and other potential sources of combustion. Do not plant in a public right-of-way without a permit.

Before you dig, remember to first call Arizona 811 (formerly Arizona Blue Stake) at 1-800-STAKE-IT (1-800-782-5348) at least two working days before you dig. Locations of company-owned underground utility lines will be marked near the dig site. This is a free service.

Tree Care Help

Customers with questions about the planting and care of their shade trees may call the Civano Nursery Tree Care Help Line at 520-546-9200 ext. 17 until their trees are established. Calls are answered from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. seven days a week.

For questions about your tree order, please email PSP_TreeManagment@tep.com. Civano Nursery provides tree care assistance only and does not have specific Trees for You program order information.

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Order Your Trees

Simply log in to My Account and purchase up to two trees per year.

Create Order
Tucson Electric Power: Shade Trees 101

Shade Trees 101

Why you should plant shade trees and where to place them.