NEW! Climate-Ready Tree Lists

The City, in conjunction with UC Davis and other local urban forestry professionals, has developed a comprehensive, climate-ready tree species list utilizing metrics to determine which species are best adapted for the region’s current and future climate. These “climate-ready” trees are trees that have been shown to be better suited to the new climate trends in the region with traits that allow them to be drought tolerant, resist pests and disease and withstand other stressors like increased salt and wind.

The climate-ready tree species list is now available on the City’s website. The list provides options for trees with varying heights, benefits to pollinators and color during different times of year. The list also includes information on different potential reservations or things to consider about each tree species like the amount of irrigation required for the tree species. Climate-ready trees promote long-term sustainability of the urban forest, provide critical wildlife habitat, provide shade and absorb carbon. 

Climate-ready Tree List

The Many Benefits of Trees



Trees offer a myriad of benefits to the properties where they are planted. The contribution of trees to our overall community can’t be understated!

Davis in particular is celebrated and well-renowned as a bike-able (and walkable) community, due in no small part to our urban canopy. The City of Davis Urban Forestry Division cares for approximately 12,000 City trees on private property (those trees planted in the City’s easement in residential front yards), 15,000 trees in parks and greenbelts, and more than 5,000 trees in the public rights-of-way. 

Our urban trees:

• Improve air quality
• Improve water quality
• Provide energy savings
• Increase property values and provide aesthetic benefits
• Provide wildlife habitat
• Improve overall health and wellbeing

More information on the City of Davis Urban Forestry Program

How to Water Trees

Trees of all ages require watering to remain healthy. During the warm summer months (especially during periods of drought), it is important to ensure that trees continue to be watered appropriately. Trees are an invaluable resource, and mature trees lost due to lack of water could take decades to replace. Help us maintain our urban forest by watering both City and private trees on your property.

How to water trees

Trees don’t need to be watered like your lawn. Trees need slow, deep watering that sprinkler systems can’t provide. Drip irrigation over the critical root zone (under the tree canopy) is a good option for watering trees. A system that allows water to infiltrate 12-18 inches per watering is a good starting point to keep the tree's roots moist. A good system is calibrated to adapt to the soil, weather conditions, and tree type prior to installing and irrigating. Trees should be watered so the soil is at field capacity (the water remaining in soil after it has been thoroughly saturated and allowed to drain freely).

Newly planted trees require regular watering to become established. At the time of planting, a basin of mulch and soil is constructed around the tree, slightly larger than the root ball to help direct water to the tree's roots. Fill the basin two to three times a week, as needed, to keep the root ball moist. While every tree species is different, a good rule of thumb is that newly planted trees usually need 15 gallons of water per week, typically 5 – 10 gallons per watering, two to three times per week. More frequent watering may be required during periods of hot weather. Since soils and environmental conditions vary, periodically check the soil, at least 8 inches deep, to see that it is not too wet or too dry and that you are watering deeply enough.

Tree Davis: How to Water Your Young Tree

If you have a young, established tree (a tree that no longer has support stakes), this tree requires infrequent deep watering (two to three times a month, depending on temperatures) for root development and overall growth. Drip irrigation applies water slowly onto the soil, allowing the water to infiltrate into the root zone.

Mature trees may only require watering in the hotter summer months and typically only once a month.

Be Water Smart: How to Help Your Mature Trees Survive the Dry Months

US Forest Service: Watering Mature Trees

Canopy- Tree Watering Guidelines

Trees Love Mulch!

To conserve water and control weeds, apply a 4 to 6-inch deep layer of organic mulch around the tree. Don’t use plastic or landscape fabric underneath the mulch. Plastic holds too much moisture and inhibits oxygen exchange, leading to root and trunk rot. An initial barrier of newspaper or a single layer of cardboard can be used to help reduce weed growth for new mulching under trees. To avoid crown rot, keep the mulch off the tree trunk.

While the use of natural mulch, such as wood chips, around trees is encouraged to promote tree health, weed cloth and rock ground covers are discouraged around trees. Rocks and weed cloth impede air and water flow to tree roots and cause the soil to heat up—killing microorganisms in the soil and harming the tree.

More information on caring for trees can be found online:

Resources – Tree Davis

Caring for Your Trees | City of Davis, CA

Urban Forestry Other Resources | City of Davis, CA

What Makes a City Tree, a City Tree?

Trees that are planted and/or maintained by the City that are adjacent to a street or within a City easement or right-of-way on private property are City-owned trees. That’s right! There are City trees on public and private property.

In residential areas, any tree that is planted and maintained by the City of Davis is a City tree. These are typically found within 10 feet from the back of the sidewalk or planted in the road right-of-way. City trees planted on private property are owned and maintained by the City of Davis (and do not belong to the property owner).

Trees in City parks or greenbelt areas are also considered to be City trees.

To find out if a particular tree is a City tree or for any other tree-related questions, please contact the Urban Forestry Division at 530-757-5633 or CityTrees@CityofDavis.org. You can also look up trees on our online map to determine if a tree is a City tree.

More information on City trees

City Trees are Protected

Do you have a City tree on your property? The City has regulations to protect City trees. The planting, pruning or removal of City trees and any modification of the areas surrounding these trees (above and below ground) may require a permit or City review, depending on the nature of the proposed work.

If you have a City tree, please note that the following activities are not allowed:

• Substantially pruning a City tree or private/protected tree without a duly authorized tree permit, even if done to make room for another tree or to clear branches overhanging private property
• Knowingly causing or permitting any wire charge with electricity to come into contact with any City tree or private/protected tree (except for decorative or seasonal lighting as approved by resolution of the city council)
• Placing, applying, attaching or keeping attached any wire, rope, sign, nail, paint or other substance or structure to any City tree. This includes a guard or stake intended to protect the tree, except for activities performed by the City's urban forestry program staff or City contractors for the purposes of tree care and maintenance
• Placing or maintaining any stone, pavement or other substance so that it substantially impedes the free access of water or air or that causes soil compaction within the tree protection zone or to the roots of any protected tree
• Placing fencing around a City tree that limits access to the tree from the street for maintenance and/or tree removal
• Cutting or damaging of root(s) as to cause the protected tree’s health to decline or cause a safety hazard
• Grading so as to cut or fill greater than a two-inch change of grade around the trunk or within the tree protection zone of a protected tree. This includes temporary changes to grade such as necessary to install paving. 
• Altering the landscaping or grade of the property, including trenching in a manner that could damage or potentially adversely affect the well-being of a protected tree
• Any other activity causing significant damage leading to the decline of the tree as determined by evaluation of an arborist

Always check with the Urban Forestry Program (530-757-5633 or CityTrees@CityofDavis.org) before doing any work on the trees in your front yard, including work that may affect a tree’s root system. Requests can also be submitted by using the City’s online form or by downloading the My Davis app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play store. 

Wildlife-Friendly Tree Maintenance

The City's urban forest provides habitat for the wide variety of wildlife that call Davis home. Maintenance of trees is necessary to support tree health, protect near-by structures and ensure public safety, but tree maintenance activity can harm nesting wildlife if not done thoughtfully.

Birds and their nests are protected by state and federal laws. The breeding season for most bird species is from March to August. Tree pruning or removal during this time presents a risk of killing or injuring birds, their nestlings or eggs. Nesting adult birds may even abandon their eggs or offspring if there is elevated disturbance in or nearby the nest tree.

To maintain our trees without harming wildlife, please follow the following steps in order:

1. Before undertaking tree maintenance or removal, ensure that it is absolutely necessary. When possible, plan for tree maintenance or removal between September and February to avoid impacts to nesting birds.
2. Consult an arborist to advise on tree health or public safety concerns.
3. Contact the City's Urban Forestry program to make sure the tree is not a City tree, Landmark tree or has other restrictions on the maintenance of the tree.
4. If you must conduct tree maintenance during the spring and summer months, please have a qualified wildlife biologist or someone familiar with bird breeding behavior survey the tree for nests. Contact the City of Davis Ecological Resources Program Manager at 530-757-5680 if you need help finding someone to survey for nests. Do not disturb the tree if nests are present. Nests are protected by state and federal law and destroying them is a misdemeanor.
5. Hawks and owls often reuse old stick nests year after year. Avoid removing them if possible.
6. Contact the Ecological Resources Program Manager if you find injured, displaced or dead wildlife. Please call 530-757-5680.

Contact the Urban Forestry program at 530-757-5633 or citytrees@cityofdavis.org for more information on tree maintenance and protections.

Urban Forestry Management Plan

City Council approved the City’s current Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) in 2023. This 40-year plan is an overall guide for the management of Davis’ urban forest program and includes recommendations for managing, budgeting, service level matrices and process improvements that will help improve and optimize the overall management of the City’s urban forest.

This plan is solely available online and consists of 17 different webpages. By presenting this plan in a new web-based format, it allows City staff to deliver regular and easy updates to metrics, provide transparency in program operations and goals and adjust priority focus of the urban forestry program as plan goals and objectives are completed in the years to come.



View the Urban Forest Management Plan

Get Involved!

Care and maintenance of the City’s robust urban canopy is a team effort with City of Davis Urban Forestry staff, Tree Davis staff and volunteers and the community of Davis.

Tree Davis has been planting trees in Davis parks, greenbelts, City streets and local wildlife areas since 1992, and provides volunteers, tools and planting facilitation in partnership with the City. Tree Davis also provides small tree care, open space maintenance and coordinates the Great Tree Search.

More information on Tree Davis.