Free Shade Tree Program

Cool and beautify your home.

In partnership with the Sacramento Tree Foundation, we will provide you with free shade trees to plant around your home. Not only do trees beautify your home and neighborhood, they can help to dramatically reduce cooling costs during the hot summer months. Shade trees also improve our air quality, provide beauty and privacy, improve property values, and absorb storm runoff.

A Community Forester will set up a visit to your home to help you select the appropriate trees based on your yard space and SMUD’s requirement for energy saving placement. They will also help you with planting and care instructions to keep your new tree healthy.

Tree choices are also very important. You may receive up to ten trees for your home that will be delivered to you with stakes and ties. You will be responsible for planting your new trees. Learn about the dozens of available trees and which ones will be the right choice for your needs below.

Getting started

There are several ways to request your shade trees. Choose from the options below.

Tree placement tool
Find the best places in your yard to plant your free trees. You can select and order from a variety of trees.
 

Try it out*

Schedule online
Schedule an appointment online to have a Community Forester visit your home and walk you through the tree selection process.
 

Make an appointment

Call
Call the Sacramento Tree Foundation at
1-916-924-TREE(8733) to set an appointment with a Community Forester.

Want to plant shade trees in your community?

 

*Please note: The Online Shade Tree Placement Tool requires the use of a capable browser, such as Internet Explorer 9 or later, or a current version of Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Shade tree options

Preview tree options that the Community Forester may recommend for your home.
Soil Moisture Key
1: Can tolerate wet soil 2: Moist soil, well drained 3: Requires infrequent deep
    watering once established

 
Name Botanical Fall Colors Flowers Soil Moisture Growth Rate
Chaste Tree Vitex agnus-castus N/A Lavender/Blue 2, 3 Mod/Fast
Chinese Fringe Tree Chionanthus retusus Yellow White 2 Slow/Mod
Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia hydrid Orange Various 2 Slow/Mod
Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis Yellow Pink 2 Mod/Fast
Japanese Crabapple Malus floribunda Yellow White 2 Slow/Mod
Japanese Maple Acer palmatum Orange, Red Reddish 2 Slow/Mod
Japanese Snowbell Styrax japonicus Yellow White 2 Slow/Mod
Prairifire Crabapple Malue "Prairifire" Red Pink 2 Slow/Mod
Washington Hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum Orange White 2 Mod/Fast
Soil Moisture Key
1: Can tolerate wet soil 2: Moist soil, well drained 3: Requires infrequent deep
    watering once established
Name Botanical Fall Colors Flowers Soil Moisture Growth Rate
Capital Pear Pyrus calleryana 'Capital' Red White 2 Fast
Chanticleer Pear Pyrus calleryana "Chanticleer" Red White 2 Fast
Chinese Flame Tree Koelreuteria bipinnata Yellow Yellow 3 Mod/Fast
Chinese Pistache Pistacia chinensis Various N/A 2, 3 Slow/Mod
European Hornbeam Carpinus betulus "Fastigata" Yellow N/A 2 Slow/Mod
Goldenrain Tree Koelreuteria paniculata Yellow Yellow 3 Slow/Mod
Hedge Maple Acer campestre Various N/A 2 Mod/Fast
Japanese White Birch Betula platyphylla japonica Yellow N/A 1 Mod/Fast
Little Leaf Linden Tilia cordata Yellow Cream 1 Slow/Mod
Pink Dawn Chitalpa Chitalpa tashkentensis 'Pink Dawn' Yellow Pink 3 Fast
Saucer Magnolia Magnolia soulangeana Yellow Pink/Purple 2 Mod/Fast
Shantung Maple Acer truncaturn Various Yellow 3 Mod/Fast
Trident Maple Acer buergeranum Various N/A 2 Mod/Fast
Tupelo (or Sour Gum) Nyssa sylvatica Red N/A 1 Moderate
Soil Moisture Key
1: Can tolerate wet soil 2: Moist soil, well drained 3: Requires infrequent deep
    watering once established

Name Botanical Fall Colors Flowers Soil Moisture Growth Rate
American Linden Tilia americana Yellow Cream 1 Moderate
Autumn Gold Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' Yellow N/A 2 Slow/Mod
Blue Oak Quercus douglasii N/A N/A 3 Slow
Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa Various N/A 2 Moderate
California Sycamore Platanus racemosa N/A N/A 1, 2, 3 Fast
Chestnut-leaf Oak Qurcus castaneaefolia Various N/A 2, 3 Mod/Fast
Columnar Red Maple Acer x freemanii 'Armstrong' Various N/A 2 Mod/Fast
European Hackberry Celtis australis Yellow N/A 2, 3 Mod/Fast
London Plane Platanus x acerifolia N/A N/A 1, 2, 3 Fast
Musashino Columnar Zelkova Zelkova serrata 'Musashino' Various N/A 2, 3 Mod/Fast
Red Maple Acer rubrum Various N/A 2 Mod/Fast
Red Oak Quercus rubra Red N/A 2 Mod/Fast
River Birch Betula nigra Yellow N/A 1, 2 Fast
Sawleaf Zelkova Zelkova serrata Various N/A 2, 3 Mod/Fast
Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea Red N/A 2 Mod/Fast
Shumard Oak Quercus shumardii Red N/A 2 Moderate
Valley Oak Quercus lobata N/A N/A 2, 3 Mod/Fast
Village Green Zelkova Zelkova serrata 'Village Green' Orange, Red N/A 2, 3 Mod/Fast
Willow Oak Quercus phellos Various N/A 2 Mod/Fast