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Philly Sprout

Street Trees · Philadelphia

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Philly

Sprout

Street trees through PHS

Want to know if a spot qualifies for a street tree?

Submit a photo of any spot. Philly Sprout uses AI to pre-screen a site against PHS criteria — minimum tree pit size, ADA sidewalk clearance, no immediate obstructions, etc — to identify suitable planting sites with confidence.

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Photograph a Site

Open Philly Sprout, find a tree pit on your block, and snap a photo. GPS coordinates are captured automatically.

Know If Your Site Qualifies

AI checks pit size, utility clearance, driveway proximity, and other PHS criteria — the stuff most people can't eyeball. No guesswork.

Connect to Tree Tenders

Your verified site record supports the official PHS application. Philly Sprout helps you get on the radar of your local Tree Tenders group — they handle permits and planting.

How It Works

Is that spot a good candidate for a street tree? Find out in minutes

01

Photograph a Site

Identify a candidate for street tree planting. Open Philly Sprout and snap a photo — the app captures your GPS location automatically.

02

AI Pre-Screening

AI analyzes the photo for pit size, clearance from driveways, utility lines, and other PHS criteria — in seconds.

03

Review & Confirm

Review the AI assessment, override any unclear judgments, and submit your site record.

04

Submit to PHS

Your submission helps to quickly identify candidate sites and target outreach.

Why Philly Sprout

Identify candidates. Grow Philly's canopy.

GPS-Precise Location

Every submission is anchored to an exact GPS coordinate, making it easy for PHS arborists to locate and inspect the site.

AI-Assisted Criteria Check

AI evaluates pit size, clearance from driveways, utility lines, and other PHS criteria — so you submit only qualified sites.

Aligned with PHS Standards

Every form field maps to the official PHS criteria for street tree planting.

Discovery On-Ramp

Don't know your local Tree Tenders group? Philly Sprout helps you get on their radar — they handle permits, pit prep, and planting.

Common Concerns

Modern tree planting isn't what your block saw 30 years ago

The wrong species were planted then. Today PHS selects trees that won't heave your sidewalk — and Philly Sprout helps verify your site qualifies before anyone shows up.

“Trees destroy sidewalks and pipes.”

Modern PHS planting uses species sized for urban environments and larger pit sizes. Most tree roots stay within 18 inches of the surface; Philly sewer laterals are typically six feet down. Past damage came from wrong species and poor maintenance — not today's program.

“I'll be stuck with leaves and maintenance forever.”

Leaves are real friction. PHS selects species suited to urban blocks, and you're mainly responsible for watering (15–20 gallons/week for two years — less than $1/year) and protecting the tree from damage. The city handles pruning and removal.

“What if something goes wrong? Am I liable?”

Property owners are responsible for sidewalk damage — that's a valid concern. The honest answer: modern species selection and larger pit sizes significantly reduce that risk. Philly Sprout helps verify your site qualifies before anyone shows up with a shovel.

Want to know if a spot qualifies?

Join Philly residents helping grow the city's urban canopy, one tree pit at a time.

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