Tree planting season (in Davis, from October to March) has arrived, and the City’s Urban Forestry Division, along with our non-profit partner Tree Davis, is assessing City easements in front of homes for City tree planting. We’re looking to sustain our canopy and continue the success of our recent grant-led effort, Community Canopy, by replanting locations where City trees have been removed (for a variety of reasons) and asking the community for requests in high-priority target areas. If you think your City easement could make a good home for a future tree planting, please read more below. A form for applying to receive a tree is at the bottom of this page. 

This year’s target area is:  Locations within the 95618 zip code (see map below) 

What do we look for in selecting a place to plant a tree?

Here’s some of the criteria we assess during a site visit.

• The tree must be kept within the City’s 10’ tree planting and maintenance easement. The 10’ easement is measured from the back of the sidewalk (back of the sidewalk is the edge of the sidewalk closest to your home).
• The tree must be planted a minimum of 5’ from City underground utilities such as the sewer and water lines.
• The tree must be planted a minimum of 4’ from existing sidewalks and driveways.
• The tree must have space for the canopy to grow, without being shaded out by larger trees, shading existing solar panels, or growing into the PG&E power line clearance area. This can sometimes be addressed by appropriate tree species selection.

What trees are we planting?

The City, along with numerous researchers and local experts, has been working on a data-driven Climate Ready Tree Species List. This season’s trees were chosen from that list and are all suited to handle our projected future climate. The species of trees that we will be planting are listed below by expected size at maturity. Please note, while the species available for City planting efforts are intended to change year-to-year (to promote species diversity), these are the only tree species that are available this planting season. Links are provided below each species with additional information, pictures and characteristics.

Small Trees

Oklahoma Redbud Cercis canadensis var. texensis 'Oklahoma'

Bubba Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis 'Bubba'

Chinese Fringe Tree Chionanthus retusus

Small/Medium Sized Trees

Trident Maple Acer buergerianum

Blue Ice Arizona Cypress Hesperocyparis arizonica 'Blue Ice'

Medium Sized Trees

White Shield Osage Orange Maclura pomifera 'White Shield'	Red Push Pistache Pistacia 'Red Push'	Chisos Red Oak Quercus gravesii
Texas Live Oak Quercus fusiformis	Emerald Sunshine Elm Ulmus propinqua 'Emerald Sunshine'

Medium/Large Trees

Texas Red Oak Quercus buckleyi

Canbyi Oak Quercus canbyi

Large Trees

Deodar Cedar Cedrus deodara	European Hackberry Celtis australis	Coast Live Oak Quercus agrifolia
Blue Oak Quercus douglasii	Japanese Zelkova Zelkova serrata

Can I request a specific tree species to be planted in my yard?

To receive a tree from the City and planted by Tree Davis, residential property owners may only request species of trees that are included above. Trees will be selected for planting at each location based on a “right tree-right place” basis (with consideration of soil, size, and location) to ensure success and healthy growth. While the City of Davis and Tree Davis will strive to accommodate a property owner’s tree preference, the final decision of what City tree to plant will be made by staff, and will be subject to tree species availability. It’s also important to keep in mind that modifications in weather patterns due to climate change have made tree species selection more crucial than ever in order to ensure a diverse mix of climate ready trees. 

Urban Forest Management Plan 

The City of Davis has a 40-year Urban Forest Management Plan with lots of great information on the urban forest, its benefits and the City’s goals. View the Urban Forestry Management Plan. 

Are you interested in receiving a City tree? 

If you’re a residential property owner and you’re interested in having a City tree planted in your front yard, please fill out the form below. After you fill out the form you will be contacted by Tree Davis staff to schedule a site visit and discuss the location, size and species of the tree. Please do not submit more than one form. This tree planting program is a partnership between the City of Davis and Tree Davis. All trees will be planted in the front yard of the property within 10 ft. of the sidewalk, in accordance with the city's tree ordinance. The recipient is responsible for watering the tree. Pruning or removal is the City's responsibility.

Please note: filling out this form puts you on the list of folks who have requested a tree, it does not guarantee you a spot in this year’s planting season (we’re working through a bit of a backlog). We appreciate your patience and you will be contacted when planting is happening in your area.