The $k$-expansion of a graph $G$ is the $k$-uniform hypergraph obtained from $G$ by adding $k-2$ new vertices to every edge. We determine, for all $k > d \geq 1$, asymptotically optimal $d$-degree conditions that ensure the existence of all spanning $k$-expansions of bounded-degree trees, in terms of the corresponding conditions for loose Hamilton cycles. This refutes a conjecture by Pehova and Petrova, who conjectured that a lower threshold should have sufficed. The reason why the answer is off from the conjectured value is an unexpected `parity obstruction': all spanning $k$-expansions of trees with only odd degree vertices require larger degree conditions to embed. We also show that if the tree has at least one even-degree vertex, the codegree conditions for embedding its $k$-expansion become substantially smaller.