diff --git a/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.js b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.js
index 325f8962c6..db6e0a2d02 100644
--- a/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.js
+++ b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.js
@@ -5,23 +5,22 @@ import { ReactSelect as Select } from '@strapi/helper-plugin';
 import Option from './Option';
 
 import flattenTree from './utils/flattenTree';
+import getOpenValues from './utils/getOpenValues';
 
 const hasParent = option => !option.parent;
 
 const hasParentOrMatchesValue = (option, value) =>
   option.value === value || option.parent === value;
 
-const SelectTree = ({ options: defaultOptions, maxDisplayDepth, ...props }) => {
+const SelectTree = ({ options: defaultOptions, maxDisplayDepth, defaultValue, ...props }) => {
   const flatDefaultOptions = useMemo(() => flattenTree(defaultOptions), [defaultOptions]);
-  const toplevelDefaultOptions = useMemo(() => flatDefaultOptions.filter(hasParent), [
-    flatDefaultOptions,
-  ]);
-  const [options, setOptions] = useState(toplevelDefaultOptions);
-  const [openValues, setOpenValues] = useState([]);
+  const optionsFiltered = useMemo(() => flatDefaultOptions.filter(hasParent), [flatDefaultOptions]);
+  const [options, setOptions] = useState(optionsFiltered);
+  const [openValues, setOpenValues] = useState(getOpenValues(flatDefaultOptions, defaultValue));
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (openValues.length === 0) {
-      setOptions(toplevelDefaultOptions);
+      setOptions(optionsFiltered);
     }
 
     openValues.forEach(value => {
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@ const SelectTree = ({ options: defaultOptions, maxDisplayDepth, ...props }) => {
 
       setOptions(filtered);
     });
-  }, [openValues, flatDefaultOptions, toplevelDefaultOptions]);
+  }, [openValues, flatDefaultOptions, optionsFiltered]);
 
   function handleToggle(e, value) {
     e.preventDefault();
@@ -58,13 +57,14 @@ const SelectTree = ({ options: defaultOptions, maxDisplayDepth, ...props }) => {
         ),
       }}
       options={options}
+      defaultValue={defaultValue}
       {...props}
     />
   );
 };
 
 const OptionShape = PropTypes.shape({
-  value: PropTypes.number.isRequired,
+  value: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.number, PropTypes.string]).isRequired,
   label: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
   children: PropTypes.array,
 });
@@ -76,10 +76,14 @@ OptionShape.defaultProps = {
 };
 
 SelectTree.defaultProps = {
+  defaultValue: undefined,
   maxDisplayDepth: 5,
 };
 
 SelectTree.propTypes = {
+  defaultValue: PropTypes.shape({
+    value: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.number, PropTypes.string]).isRequired,
+  }),
   maxDisplayDepth: PropTypes.number,
   options: PropTypes.arrayOf(OptionShape).isRequired,
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.stories.mdx b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.stories.mdx
index e9b10be018..e826145459 100644
--- a/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.stories.mdx
+++ b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/SelectTree.stories.mdx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { useState } from 'react';
 import { Meta, ArgsTable, Canvas, Story } from '@storybook/addon-docs';
 import SelectTree from './index';
 
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ into `react-select` are forwarded.
 <Canvas>
   <Story name="base">
     {() => {
+        const [value, setValue] = useState(null);
         const options = [
             {
                 value: 1,
@@ -47,7 +49,12 @@ into `react-select` are forwarded.
                 label: 'Folder 3'
             }
         ];
-        return (<SelectTree options={options} onChange={props => console.log(props)} />)
+        return (
+            <>
+                <SelectTree options={options} defaultValue={{ value: 22 }} onChange={({ value }) => setValue(value)} />
+                <p>Selected Value: {value}</p>
+            </>
+        )
     }}
   </Story>
 </Canvas>
diff --git a/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/utils/getOpenValues.js b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/utils/getOpenValues.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d1c2e4fbdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/utils/getOpenValues.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+function getOpenValues(options, defaultValue) {
+  let values = [];
+  const { value } = defaultValue;
+  const option = options.find(option => option.value === value);
+
+  if (!option) {
+    return values;
+  }
+
+  values.push(option.value);
+
+  let { parent } = option;
+
+  while (parent) {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-loop-func
+    const option = options.find(({ value }) => value === parent);
+
+    values.push(option.value);
+    parent = option.parent;
+  }
+
+  return values;
+}
+
+export default getOpenValues;
diff --git a/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/utils/tests/getOpenvalues.test.js b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/utils/tests/getOpenvalues.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..018f019e8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/upload/admin/src/components/SelectTree/utils/tests/getOpenvalues.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import flattenTree from '../flattenTree';
+import getOpenValues from '../getOpenValues';
+
+const FIXTURE = flattenTree([
+  {
+    value: 'f-1',
+    label: 'Folder 1',
+  },
+
+  {
+    value: 'f-2',
+    label: 'Folder 2',
+    children: [
+      {
+        value: 'f-2-1',
+        label: 'Folder 2-1',
+      },
+
+      {
+        value: 'f-2-2',
+        label: 'Folder 2-2',
+        children: [
+          {
+            value: 'f-2-2-1',
+            label: 'Folder 2-2-1',
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    ],
+  },
+]);
+
+describe('getOpenValues', () => {
+  test('returns 1 value for depth = 1', () => {
+    expect(getOpenValues(FIXTURE, 'f-1')).toStrictEqual(['f-1']);
+  });
+
+  test('returns 2 values for depth = 2', () => {
+    expect(getOpenValues(FIXTURE, 'f-2-1')).toStrictEqual(['f-2-1', 'f-2']);
+  });
+
+  test('returns 3 values for depth = 3', () => {
+    expect(getOpenValues(FIXTURE, 'f-2-2-1')).toStrictEqual(['f-2-2-1', 'f-2-2', 'f-2']);
+  });
+});