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.
1-916-924-TREE(8733) to set an appointment with a Community Forester.
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 | Purple | 2, 3 | Fast |
| Chinese Fringe Tree | Chionanthus retusus | Yellow | White | 2 | Moderate |
| Crape Myrtle | Lagerstroemia hydrid | Orange | Various | 2 | Slow/Mod |
| Eastern Redbud | Cercis canadensis | Yellow | Pink | 2 | Mod/Fast |
| Japanese Crabapple | Malus floribunda | Yellow | Pink | 2 | Moderate |
| Japanese Snowbell | Styrax japonicus | Red, Yellow | White | 2 | Slow/Mod |
| Prairifire Crabapple | Malus 'Prairifire' | Orange, Red | Pink | 2 | Moderate |
| Washington Hawthorn | Crategus phaenopyrum | Orange | White | 2 | Moderate |
| Western Redbud | Cercis occidentalis | Yellow | Pink | 2 | Slow/Mod |
| 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 |
| Chinese Flame Tree | Koelreuteria bipinnata | Yellow | Yellow | 3 | Mod/Fast |
| Chinese Pistache | Pistacia chinensis | Various | N/A | 2, 3 | Fast |
| Columnar Hornbeam | Carpinus betulus 'Fastigata' | Yellow | N/A | 2 | Slow/Mod |
| Frontier Elm | Ulmus 'Frontier' | Red | N/A | 2 | Mod/Fast |
| Goldenrain Tree | Koelreuteria paniculata | Yellow | Yellow | 3 | Moderate |
| Hedge Maple | Acer campestre | Various | N/A | 2 | Mod/Fast |
| Little Leaf Linden | Tilia cordata | Yellow | Cream | 1 | Moderate |
| Marina Strawberry Tree | Arbutus 'Marina' | N/A | White | 1 | Slow/Mod |
| Pink Dawn Chitalpa | Chitalpa 'Pink Dawn' | Yellow | Pink | 3 | Fast |
| Saucer Magnolia | Magnolia soulangeana | Yellow | Pink/Purple | 2 | Moderate |
| Shantung Maple | Acer truncatum | Various | N/A | 3 | Mod/Fast |
| Sweet Bay | Laurus nobilis | N/A | Yellow | 1 | Slow/Mod |
| 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 |
| Autumn Gold Ginkgo | Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' | Yellow | N/A | 2 | Slow |
| Blue Oak | Quercus douglasii | N/A | N/A | 3 | Slow |
| Bur Oak | Quercus macrocarpa | Yellow | N/A | 2 | Moderate |
| California Sycamore | Platanus racemosa | N/A | N/A | 1, 2, 3 | Fast |
| Chestnut-leaf Oak | Quercus castaneifolia | Various | N/A | 2, 3 | Mod/Fast |
| Columnar Red Maple | Acer x freemanii | Various | N/A | 2 | Fast |
| Deodar Cedar | Cedrus deodara | N/A | N/A | 2 | Fast |
| Interior Live Oak | Quercus wislizenii | N/A | N/A | 1 | Slow/Mod |
| London Plane | Platanus x hispanica 'Columbia' | N/A | N/A | 1, 2, 3 | Fast |
| Red Maple | Acer rubrum | Various | N/A | 2 | Fast |
| Zelkova | Zelkova serrata | Various | N/A | 2, 3 | Moderate |
| Shumard Oak | Quercus shumardii | N/A | N/A | 2 | Moderate |
| Valley Oak | Quercus lobata | N/A | N/A | 2, 3 | Moderate |
| Village Green Zelkova | Zelkova serrata 'Village Green' | Orange, Red | N/A | 2, 3 | Moderate |
| Willow Oak | Quercus phellos | N/A | N/A | 2 | Mod/Fast |