We are often asked “what tree should I plant in my yard?”, but the answer depends on several factors, including the specific site conditions, such as the amount of space, sun, and water available. People also have different preferences and knowing what your own preferences are helps narrow down the possibilities. Some questions to ask yourself are: what size tree am I comfortable with? Would I like a tree that shades my house? Would I like a tree that is evergreen? What benefits am I hoping to get from the tree (e.g. attract songbirds, showy flowers, reduce flooding)?

Once you know what the site conditions are, how large a tree you want, and what benefits you would like, then you are ready to dig deeper. Tacoma Tree Foundation offers a program called “Choosing Wisely” to help you think through the decision-making process. In addition, you can take a look at our Tree Care page for more information.

Another consideration for tree selection is local availability. Your ideal tree may not be available at the time that you are ready to plant; however, if you know the characteristics that you are looking for it is easier to choose a different tree.

When planting trees in urban areas, it is important to look around. Knowing where possible infrastructure and utility conflicts could happen will help prevent any problems in the future. You can see a detailed list of recommended distances here.

If you have heard people talking about a right-of-way when talking about trees, you might have wondered what exactly that means, and you would not be alone. A Right-of-Way is generally an easement, which, in Tacoma, often means that it is land owned by the City of Tacoma or another public agency but cared for by the adjacent landowner. In most places in Tacoma, the Right-of-Way might include a sidewalk, a planting strip, a parking strip, a curb, and it may even go into your yard 5 to 10 feet, sometimes more. The Right-of-Way often includes above ground and underground utilities, such as powerlines, communication lines, gas lines, water lines, and sewer lines. You can find out approximately where the Right-of-Way line is near your home by checking out the Tmap (keep in mind that this is not equivalent to an official land survey).

Since the Right-of-Way is an easement, the city and utilities have guidelines for how and what trees can be planted there. Once you know where you would like to plant a tree, it is important to Call Before You Digto have the utilities marked. This is a free service and a required step. You can learn more about the requirements and guidelines for planting street trees in the Right-of-Way here.

Most of the trees we plant and give away are native species. However, there are a few reasons why we provide non-native plants as well.

Many of our native trees are already struggling in the increasingly hot and dry seasons. In fact, some of them are dying. When we plant species that did not locally evolve, we are planting only species that will do well in drought and heat, and that have proven to do well in our region. 

Our goal as a foundation is to plant for the future, being mindful of what we’re planting and where it’s going is how we strive for an ecologically resilient urban forest. Biodiverse environments are less susceptible to disturbances including pests, pathogens, drought, urban infrastructure, poor water quality, and climate change. When only a few types of trees are widely planted, they can easily share pathogens and decline in health more rapidly than in areas with higher biodiversity. 

We respect everyone’s choice to plant and care for the plants that work best for them on their property. We follow City of Tacoma’s tree guidelines which you can find on our tree care page.We never plant invasive or prohibited species.

It is important to remember that just because a species isn’t native to an area doesn’t mean that it is invasive. Check out our YouTube video Native, Adaptive, and Invasive Plants: a Conversation recording where we discuss the language around plants and the effects these terms have.