From: Robin
To: Montoya, Michelle
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Climate Action Subcommittee-Cap and MCap Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 4:37:47 PM
Attachments: 2025 proposed street trees.doc
Good afternoon,
Congratulations on a very ambitious Climate Action Plan. If a lot of these goals were accomplished it would certainly help to clean up Santa Rosa and make it more sustainable and livable.
In the 2012 CAP, the city started requiring that new developments include public and private trees. And the new housing projects are planting trees. However the trees are not being properly cared for after planting and few will likely live to maturity and provide all the environmental benefits of large, old trees.
In my professional practice as a horticulturist and arborist I visit locations all over Santa Rosa and have seen the good and the bad tree care that is happening after the residences are occupied. There is usually a landscape company hired by the property manager or HOA that takes minimal care of the shared landscaping. The trees are never pruned or badly pruned, the staking is never removed, and the trunks are often damaged by mowers or string trimmers. I suggest adding a requirement that the trees planted in the projects are to be inspected and cared for by a certified arborist for the first 5 years. This will ensure that the trees will at least get a good start in life.
Particularly bad in caring for trees on their properties is the Phoenix Development Company.
Another gap in this requirement is the outdated list of permitted trees. Santa Rosa's tree list was last updated in 1990. Many of the trees on this list should no long be used because of changing climate conditions or evidence that they are poor performers over time.
I have attached a list of suggested trees based on experience and research into what trees other cities are using.
Thank you for your time.
Robin North
New to list
2- 4 Foot tree well
Decidious
Acer buergeranum (Trident Maple)--25' regular water, better in some shade Acer truncatum -- 25' moderate to regular water, better in some shade Cercis 'Oklahoma' -- 20'-regular to low water. prefers decent drainage Cercis occidentalis (Western Redbud)--15'- low water, short lived, better w some shade, limit use Chilopsis linearis (Desert Willow)--30' Low water, subject to root rot/needs good drainage Crataegus phaenopyrum (Washington Hawthorn)--30' regular to low water Lagerstroemia fauriei ‘varieties’ (Crape Myrtle)-- regular to low water, root suckers with over-pruning, limit use. 'Natchez', 'Muskogee' 'Tuskadora'
Evergreen
Callistemon viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush)-- 20'-Low water Grevillia banksii (Bank's Grevillia)-- Low water, wind protection Hakea laurina (Sea Urchin)-- Low water
Heteromeles arbutifolia 'Davis Gold'--15'-low water
Leptospermum 'Dark Shadows'--Low water
Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem'-- 20'-regular water
Tristaniopsis laurina 'Elegant'--25''low water
3-5' Tree Well
Decidious
Acer rubrum (Eastern Red Maple)-- regular water, root rot/needs good drainage, limit use. 'Armstrong' and 'Armstrong Gold' are columnar 20'W x 60'T
Celtis reticulata (Netleaf Hackberry)-40'- low water, availability? Chitalpa tashkentensis -- 30' Low water. Weak branching Chionanthus retusus (Chinese Fringe Tree)--30', regular to low water Ginkgo biloba 'Princeton Sentry' (Columnar Maidenhair)--65'x 25', regular to low water Koelreuteria paniculata (Goldenrain) --40', regular to low water Pistacia chinensis (Chinese Pistache)-35' regular to low water-'Keith Davey' is fruitless, Prosopis glandulosa 'Maverick'(Thornless Mesquite)-35-very low water, availability? Tilia tomentosa (silver leaf Linden) 60' low water
Evergreen
Agonis flexuosa (Peppermint tree)--40',low water
Arbutus 'Marina'-35', medium -low water. fruit litter
Laurus nobilis (Sweet Bay) -- 30'-regular water
Magnolia grandiflora 'St Mary'--25'-regular water
Prunus ilicifolia var lyonii (Catalina Island Cherry)--25'-low water. Fruit litter. Special pruning for tree form Searsia (Rhus) lancea (African Willow)-- 30'-regular to low water
6' + Tree Well
Deciduous
Aesculus californica (California Buckeye)-30'x30', low water, fruit litter Alnus rhombifolia (white Alder)-80'-high water, riparian-special uses Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf Maple)-80' high water/riparian-special uses Celtis occidentalis (Common Hackberry)-- 80'- regular to low water Ginkgo biloba -50-80'-larger cultivars such as 'Saratoga' or Autumn Gold'-low water Platanus x hispanica (London plane tree) - 80' medium water Quercus douglasii (blue oak) 70' low water, special uses Quercus gambelii (Gambel oak) 40', medium-low water
Quercus gravesii (Texas oak) 50', medium-low water,
Quercus kelloggii (Black oak) 70', medium -low water
Quercus lobata (valley oak) 70' medium-low water
Evergreen
Corymbia citriodora (lemon-scented gum)-70' Low water
Hesperocyparis macnabiana (Macnab Cypress)- 40' low water Juniperus californica (California juniper)-40'-low water Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak) 60-low water
Quercus emoryi (Emory oak) 60'-low water
Quercus englmanii (Engleman oak) 70'-low water
Quercus hypoleucoides (silverleaf oak) 40'x 40'-low water Quercus tomentella (Island Oak) 60'-low water
Quercus wislizeni (Interior live oak) 70'-low water