Official Web Site of the City of Phoenix

A program of the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department
Program Mission School Presentations Matching Cost Program Special Events Booth Living Tree Celebration Benefits of Trees The Care of Trees Guidelines for Planting Requests Resource Materials Further Information Resource Books For Adults Tree Books For Children	1802 W. Encanto Boulevard Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 495-3763 (602) 495-5564 FAX E-mail inquiries to: susan.pleger@phoenix.gov   Recommended trees for Arizona	Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia

Program Mission
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To enhance Phoenix's urban forest environment by promoting tree planting and increasing awareness of proper tree care through public and community efforts.

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School Presentations

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“A Puppet Show and Blossom” is a program for preschoolers. Blossom is a Treeture. (See www.treetures.com for more information about Treetures.) We'll bring the animal puppets to show why trees are terrific, and a story about the Treetures. If you have a volunteer willing to wear the Blossom costume, we’ll bring it along!

“A Puppet Show and Who Wants to be A Treeillionare?” for Grades K to 6. Puppets are still used to share the benefits of trees with your students serving as the puppeteers, but we'll have short Tree Talk , the game“"Who Wants To Be A Treeillionare?" and a story.”

“A Slide Show Plus” -- The Care of A Tree for older youth and adults. This slide show was developed by the International Society of Arboriculture and is available for older elementary students through adults. After the slides, we will share some further information about trees, and maybe a story too!

Call (602) 495-3763 to schedule a presentation.

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Matching Cost Program

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Phoenix Urban Forestry will pay half the cost of trees that are planted on public property, i.e., right-of-ways, schools, etc. Prior to submitting an application, consider carefully the type of tree needed, how it will fit into the surrounding terrain, and the placement of the tree in relationship to overhead and underground utility lines.

Click here for:

Guidelines for Tree Planting Requests
A List of Recommended Trees
Matching Cost Program Application (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

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Special Events Booth

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The Phoenix Urban Forestry special events booth is available on a limited basis at special events. Educational materials about the selection, planting and care of trees are available as well as drawings and games for the public. Blossom, a Treeture friend from the National Tree Trust, also visits selected special events. Call (602) 495-3763 to schedule the booth or a Blossom appearance.

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Living Tree Celebration Program

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Celebrate a birth, a wedding, or an anniversary or honor the memory of a loved one, through the Living Tree Celebration by donating a tree to a city park. You can also purchase a special plaque to mark your tree donation. Call 602-495-3763 for more information.

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Benefits of Trees

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Trees . . . provide shade, beautify our surroundings, absorb carbon dioxide, supply oxygen, help the environment, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, give wildlife a home, increase property values, decrease energy use, lessen noise pollution, lower air temperatures, add character to neighborhoods, save cost of utilities, reduce storm water run-off, and give us a sense of peace and tranquility.

The Center for Urban Forest Research, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, recently published the "Desert Southwest Community Tree Guide," a quantitative report on the benefits and costs for typical trees in the Southwest. Results showed that average annual benefits increased with mature tree size:
$14 to $18 for a small tree
$25 to $30 for a conifer and medium shade tree
$37 to $43 for a large tree
If you would like a copy of the complete report which explains how these figures were obtained, call Phoenix Urban Forestry at 602 495-3763.

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The Care of Trees

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Caring For Your Trees: "Mayor Gordon's Shade Initiative"
Palm Tree Maintenance

Need information about selecting, planting and caring for trees? Have questions about trees? Call and we will try to help, see the list of available brochures under Resource Materials, check the list of Resource Books, or contact one of our partners listed for additional help.

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Resource Materials

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The following brochures are available from Phoenix Urban Forestry:

Local Brochures

Guide to Arizona Desert Shade Trees
A Tree Planting Guide for Kids and Their Parents
Watering Trees and Shrubs
Plants for the Desert Southwest

International Society of Arboriculture

Avoiding Tree and Utility Conflicts
Benefits of Trees
Buying High-Quality Trees
Mature Tree Care
New Tree Planting
Pruning Mature Trees
Pruning Young Trees
Recognizing Tree Hazards
Tree Selection
Why Topping Hurts Trees

Tree City USA bulletins

How to Prune Young Shade Trees (English and Spanish)
Don’t Top Trees! (English and Spanish)
How to Kill a Tree
How to Select and Plant a Tree (English and Spanish)
Ten Tree Myths to Think About
The Right Tree for the Right Place (English and Spanish)
The Way Trees Work—How to Help
When a Storm Strikes (English and Spanish)

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Further Information

• Arizona Community Tree Council, President John Eisenhower, 1110 W Washington St. # 100, Phoenix, AZ 85007; 602-542-6191; www.aztrees.org
• Arizona State Land Department, Urban Forester, Ron Romatzke, 1616 W. Adams, Phoenix, AZ 85007; (602) 542-2518; www.land.state.az.us/programs/natural
• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix, AZ 85040; 602- 470-8086; ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/
• The National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, www.arborday.org
• Treetures, 1-800-863-7175, www.treetures.com
• National Tree Trust, 1120 G Street, NW, Suite 770, Washington, D.C. 20005, 1-800-846-8733
• International Society of Arboriculture, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129, www.isa-arbor.com
  

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Resource Books For Adults

Duffield, Mary Rose and Jones, Warren D. - "Plants for Dry Climates"

Editors - "Sunset Western Garden Book"

Harris, Richard - "Arboriculture"

Mielke, Judy - "Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes"

Shuler, Carol - "Low Water-Use Plants for California and the Southwest"

Wasowski, Sally - "Native Gardens for Dry Climates"

Turner, R. M. - "Sonoran Deseret Plants: An Ecological Atlas"

Petrides, George A. - "A Field Guide To Western Trees"

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Tree Books For Children

Thornhill, Jan - "A Tree in a Forest"

Lauber, Patricia - "Be a Friend to Trees"

Gulberson, Brend - "Cactus Hotel"

Aronsky, Jim - "Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees"

Silverstein, Shel - "The Giving Tree"

Oppenheim, Joan - "Have You Seen Trees?"

Gackenbach, Dick - "Mighty Tree"

Ehlert, Lois - "Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf"

Brandt, Sue - "State Trees: Including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico"

Hiscock, Bruce - "The Big Tree"

Treeselt, Alvin - "The Gift of the Tree"

Cherry, Lynne - "The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest"

Jeunesse, Gallim - "The Tree"

Burnie, David - "Tree"

Gamlin, Linda - "Trees"

Maestro, Betsy - "Why Do Leaves Change Color?"

Ryder, Joanne - "Hello, Tree!"

Levine, Arthur A. - "Pearl Moscowitz's Last Stand"

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Guidelines for Tree Planting Requests

1. Project must provide environmental and sociological benefits to the community.
2. Priority will be given to school-age children and their support groups (Parent Teacher Associations, Boy/Girl Scouts, Camp Fire, etc.). Community groups and citizens working to improve their neighborhoods through the planting of trees are encouraged to apply.
3. The City will provide trees to be planted on public properties (right-of-way, schools, etc.) Trees will be tagged with identifying number for audit purposes. Tags should remain on trees a minimum of three years.
4. Applicant will be responsible for the payment of half the cost of the tree(s). There is a monetary limit of $2,000 per application ($1,000 from the applicant and $1,000 from Phoenix Urban Forestry).
5. Application will be reviewed for acceptance and no funds will be accepted before right of way and locations of underground utilities are established. Do not send any money until you are notified that your application has been approved.
6. Individuals or groups requesting trees are responsible for the care of the trees.
7. If trees are provided, the recipient must notify Phoenix Urban Forestry if the tree is damaged, appears to have problems of any kind, is vandalized, etc. Recipient will be responsible for the total cost of the tree if any of the above are discovered during the monitoring process and Phoenix Urban Forestry has not been notified.
8. The Parks and Recreation Department reserves the right to make the final determination on all applications.

In addition to the tree-planting program, Phoenix Urban Forestry sponsors programs for school-age children about the benefits of trees. Educational materials are available on request to adults about planting, care and maintenance of trees or through the libraries where special racks with tree information rotate between branch libraries. Please call 602 495-3763 to determine the current location of the racks.