Friends of El Cerrito Trees
"Promoting an environmentally friendly, beautiful and green El Cerrito"
City of El Cerrito- Recommended Master Street Tree List
Choose your tree based on the size of the planting area. Be sure to read "How to Plant a Tree" and "Young Tree Care Guide" below .
Large Trees
1) Acer Macrophyllym (Big-leaf Maple) Size: L Deciduous, El Cerrito Native, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 5.5 feet
2) Celtis Australis (European Hackberry) Size: L Drought tolerant Deciduous Minimum Planting Strip Width: 4 feet
3) Liquidambar Styraciflua (Liquidambar) Size: L Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 6.5
4) Pinus Canariensis (Canary Island Pine) Size: L Drought Tolerant Evergreen Minimum Planting Strip Width:5.5 feet
5) Platanus Acerifolia (Yarwood Sycamore) Size: L Drought tolerant, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 4.5 feet
6) Quercus Agrifolia (Coast Live Oak) Size: L, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, El Cerrito Native, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 4.5 feet
7) Quercus Shumardii (Schumard Oak) Size: L, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 6.5 feet
8) Quercus Suber (Cork Oak) Size: L, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 4.5 feet
9) Quercus Virginiana (Southern Live Oak) Size: L, Evergreen, Minimum Planting Strip Width:4.5 feet
10) Umbellularia Californica (California Bay) Size: L, Drought tolerant, El Cerrito Native, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 5.5 feet
Medium Trees
11) Acer Pseudoplatanus (Sycamore Maple) Size: M, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 4 feet
12) Aesulus Carnea (Red Horsechestnut) Size: M, Deciduous, Flowering, Good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3.5 feet
13) Carpinus Betulus (Fastigiate Hornbeam) Size: M, Drought tolerant, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3.5 feet
14) Eucalyptus Ficifolia (Scarlet Gum) Size: M, Evergreen, Flowering, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 6.5 feet
15) Eucalyptus Microtheca (Flooded Box) Size: M, Drought Tolerant, Evergreen, Good for Under Wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3.5 feet
16) Eucalyptus Polyanthermos (Silver Dollar Gum) Size: M, Drought Tolerant, Evergreen, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 5.5 feet
17) Fraximus Holotricha (Moraine Ash) Size: M, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width:5.5 feet
18) Frazimus Oxycarpa (Raywood Ash) Size: M, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width:6.5 feet
19) Geijera Parvifolia (Australian Willow) Size; M, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Minimum Planting Strip Width:4.5 feet
20) Ginko Biloba (Autumn Gold) Size: M, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3.5 feet
21) Koelreuteria Bipinnata (Chinese Flame) Size: M, Deciduous, Good for Under Wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 2.5 feet
22) Magnolia Grandiflora (Southern Magnolia) Size: M, Evergreen, Flowering, Good for Under Wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 6.5 feet
23) Melaleuca Linariifolia (Flax-leaved paperbark) Size: M, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Flowering, Good for Under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width:2.5 feet
24) Pistache Chinensis (Chinese Pistache) Size: M, Drought Tolerant, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width:3.5 feet
25) Podocarpus Gracilior (African Yew Pine) Size: M, Drougth tolerant, Evergreen, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 4.5 feet
26) Pyrus Calleryana (Aristocrat Pear) Size: M, Drought tolerant, Deciduous, Flowering, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 4.5 feet
27) Sapium Sebiferum (Chinese Tallow) Size: M, Deciduous, Good for Under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3.5 feet
28) Sophora Japonica (Scholar Tree) Size: M, Deciduous, Flowering, Minimum Planting Strip Width:4.5 feet
29) Tilia Cordata (Little Leaf Linden) Size: M, Deciduous, Minimum Planting Strip Width:3.5 feet
30) Tristania Conferta (Brisbane Box) Size: M, Drougth tolerant, Evergreen, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 2.5 feet
Small Trees
31) Acer Campestre (Hedge Maple) Size: S, Drought Tolerant, Deciduous, Good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3 feet
32) Callistemon Viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush) Size: S, Evergreen, Flowering, Good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 1.5 feet
33) Ceris Canadensis (Eastern Redbud) Size: S, Drought tolerant, Deciduous, Flowering, Good for Under Wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 1.5 feet
34) Koelreuteria Panaiculata (Golden Rain) Size: S, Drought tolerant, Deciduous, Good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 2.5 feet
35) Lagerstroemia Indica (Crape Myrtle) Size: S, Drought tolerant, Deciduous, Flowering, Good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3 feet
36) Laurus X Saratoga (Hybrid Laurel) Size: S, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3 feet
37) Malus X Robinson (Crabapple) Size: S, Drougth tolerant, Deciduous, flowering, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 2.5 feet
38) Metrosideros Excelsus (New Zealand Christmas Tree) Size: S, Drought Tolerant, Evergreen, Flowering, good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 3.5 feet
39) Tristainia Laurina (Swamp Myrtle) Size: S, Drought Tolerant, Evergreen, Good for under wires, Minimum Planting Strip Width: 2.5 feet\How to Plant a Tree (from California ReLEAF)
You will need:
* The right tree for the right space (see species list, above)
* A shovel, rake & pick ax (optional)
* Mulch (FREE! from EC Recyling Center on Schmidt Lane)
* Soil Amendments (for clay and rocky soils)
* A water hose that will reach the tree
* Two tree stakes & ties8 Easy Steps to Success
1 Dig the proper sized hole for your tree, the bigger the better. Make vertical sides and roughen them to allow root penetration. If you're transplanting your tree from a container, the hole should be one inch shallower and 6 to 12 inches beyond the root ball.2 Carefully remove the container just before the tree is put into the hole. Try to move the tree by the root ball instead of the trunk. Minimize the time the root ball are exposed to air. Roots circling around the outside of the root ball should be cut vertically in four or five places around the circumference. Roots matted on the root ball bottom should be cut off.
3 Set the root ball on the undisturbed soil. Adjust the "best" side of the tree in the direction you want. Make sure the top surface of the root ball is one inch higher than the natural soil grade. Lay a stick or shovel handle across the hole to see if the root ball is high or low.
4 Fill the hole in and around the root ball with the soil you removed from the hole in Step One. If the soil is filled with rocks or clay, rake out the larger ones. Break up any clods and mix them with good topsoil (soil amendments). Firm the soil around the root ball until the hole is 2/3 full.
5 Fill the remaining space with water. Finish filling the hole with soil, but do not tamp. No fill soil should be put on top of the root ball.
6 Mound what soil is left into a 6 inch high berm around the edge of the planting hole. Fill the basin around the tree with water to thoroughly wet and settle the soil.
7 Place a 4 to 6 inch layer of mulch such as bark or leaves around the tree. Mulch helps control weeds, retains water, and feeds nutrients to the tree. Keep grass and weedwackers at least 18 inches away from the tree trunk.
8 Remove any stake that is next to the tree trunk. Re-stake your tree if the tree cannot support itself. Use 2 stakes and place them 12 inches away from the trunk on either side to support the tree against the wind. This prevents the trunk or branches from rubbing against the stake. REMEMBER to REMOVE stakes & ties after the tree is a few years old!
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Young Tree Care Guide - First 5 years
3 STEPS TO TREE CARE:
1) WATER properly.
2) Remove surrounding grass, prevent new grass from growing WITHOUT a weed whacker.
3) Always keep plenty mulch around the tree planting site.1) WATERING FOR THE FIRST 5 YEARS
IN SUMMER MONTHS: (APRIL thru OCTOBER)
- GIVE TREE 5 GALLONS OF WATER - 3 TIMES PER WEEK.
- WATER YOUNG TREE SLOWLY AND GENTLY SO THAT ALL WATER SEEPS THROUGH THE 2' BY 2' ROOT BALL.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR TREE NEEDS WATER:
When tree roots become too dry, the leaves show signs of distress (i.e. they wilt, lose their shine, droop, burn around the edges, and/or fall off completely.) If a tree begins to show ANY of these signs, check the soil. If the soil is dry, water the tree. Do NOT water if the soil is moist.
If a tree is showing signs of distress and the soil is moist, the tree may be over-watered or have infestation. Do NOT over-water the tree. A soggy tree is an unhealthy tree which can lead to root rot.
In HOT or WINDY weather a tree may need more water than usual. During the rainy season or on foggy days, trees need LESS water.
HOW TO WATER
Water your tree deeply and regularly. Do NOT water only a little at a time. This encourages tree roots to grow upwards in search of moisture. You can water with anything that holds moisture, just be sure to do it slowly and gently, so that the water goes to the tree roots and NOT the gutter. When trees are planted, a wall of soil and mulch is formed around the base of the tree to retain water. It helps to keep this wall and mulch for at least the first several years.
WATERING WITH A HOSE
Place the hose on a slow stream at least six inches from the base of the trunk for 20 minutes. Water a little more on hotter weeks, less on cooler weeks. Adjust watering so that the tree is receiving just enough water to completely moisten the soil 2 feet deep under the tree, but not enough to overflow on the sidewalk.
DO NOT USE A NOZZLE when watering!! The strong blast sprays away the soil, leaving the tree roots exposed. Once exposed, the roots dry out. When the roots become too dry the tree dies.WATERING WITH A BUCKET
Give the tree 5 gallons of water 3 times per week. Water a little more on hotter weeks, less on cooler weeks.METHOD 1:
SLOWLY pour 5 gallons of water onto the rootball at the base of the tree.METHOD 2:
Find a 5 gallon bucket with a small hole near or on the bottom. (Old El Cerrito Recyclying buckets are perfect for this.) Place the bucket on the tree planting site. Fill the bucket with water and let the water drain slowly through the hole. THIS METHOD IS THE EASIEST & REDUCES THE LIKELIHOOD OF OVER WATERING.2) KEEP GRASS & WEEDWACKERS AWAY from TREE
Grass is one of the primary reasons that young trees die. Weedwackers cause damage to the base of tree which cause disease and pests. Mulch your tree to keep grass and weedwackers away. Grass competes with the roots of trees for moisture. This moisture is essential for the development of the young tree's root system. Keeep grass a minimum of 2 feet away from the trunk of the tree. The optimum solution is to eliminate grass near tree roots altogether. Instead apply lots of mulch. Keep the mulch in place with regular watering.
3) APPLY MULCHTree roots seek out moisture and nutrients, much of which is found in the top several inches of soil. Mulch helps retain moisture, and breaks down to into compost that feeds you tree. You can get FREE MULCH from the City of El Cerrito's Recycling Center at the end of Schmidt Lane in El Cerrito. It is important to moisten the mulch when watering your tree to keep the mulch in place. In summer months, form a basin with your mulch. In winter months, keep mulch closer to tree trunk to keep in heat.
Sidewalk damage is caused by roots pushing up against the concrete. Sidewalk damage can be reduced in 2 ways: planting a tree that fits in the area provided, or increasing the area provided, and with proper watering. The City of El Cerrito has a street tree list which you can get from City Hall. The list recommends certain species based on the planting space. PROPER WATERING IS KEY TO REDUCING SIDEWALK DAMAGE. Deep watering enables the tree to find moisture down in the soil so that the tree roots will be less likely to push up the surrounding concrete.
Happy Planting to you! Thank you for planting a tree and making a positive contribution to our environment!
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FURTHER INFORMATION:
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