Please note that we work WITH the City of Oakland but are not a part of the official City of Oakland's Tree Services. 

The City of Oakland has a list of approved “Street Trees” that you can choose from. 

Download the current (2017-'18) City of Oakland – Master Street Tree List (PDF) here.
Effective April 2017 until a new tree list is released.  
Some new species have been added since the 2016-'17 list, and the required well-sizes for some species have been changed (Medium to Small, or Large to Medium, or vice versa).  The new list also includes the relative height (stature) and rate of growth of each species.

In the columns below, you can click on the botanical names and/or variety names to be linked to more information.
Most of the links go to the Tree Selection profile at CalPoly's SelecTree website.
*External links are not intended to be endorsements of any product, service, or advertisement and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of content found at any website link. 
​
If you don't know where to start and you want a shorter list to consider, we have indicated some of our favorites at the top of the columns.

Trees for Medium Wells:
City requirement: Well min. 3'x6' or 4’x4’, or 3' wide strip.
Grant requirement: 24 sq.ft. per tree, which is 3'x8' or 3.5'x7', or 3' wide strip.

​Our short-list (in alphabetical order):
Arbutus 'Marina' (Hybrid Madrone or Strawberry Tree, evergreen)
Lophostemon confertus  (a.k.a. Tristania conferta) (Brisbane Box, evergreen)
Nyssa sylvatica (Sour Gum or Tupelo, deciduous)
Tilia tomentosa (Silver Linden, deciduous)
(We also like Chitalpas, but they are not very plentiful at the nurseries now.)

The full list:
Acer campestre
 ‘Queen Elizabeth’ or ‘Evelyn’ Hedge Maple

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (30' x 30')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• Limited use on a trial basis
• Out of stock until Dec 2018.

Acer negundo 'Sensation'
'Sensation' Box Elder

• Deciduous
• Medium to Large stature (40' x 30')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• Use this variety only, because seedlings are not reliably large enough
• Quasi-native (the species in native to California, but this selection is from somewhere else)
• Limited use on a trial basis
• Out of stock until Dec 2018.

Acer nigrum
(also known as Acer saccharum nigrum)
Black Maple

• Deciduous
• Large stature (50' x 20')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous 
• Out of stock until Dec 2018.

Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’, ‘Brandywine’, 'Armstrong', or 'Armstrong Gold'
Red Maple

• Deciduous
• Large stature (50' x 20'-40') ('Armstrong' and 'Armstrong Gold' are narrower, 'October Glory' is broader, and 'Brandywine' is in between)
• These varieties have the best growth form and autumn color
• Less drought-tolerant than other species on this list

Albizia julibrissin
Silk Tree or Mimosa

• Deciduous 
• Medium stature (40' x 50')
• Flowers: Showy Pink/Rose

Arbutus 'Marina'
Hybrid Madrone, Strawberry Tree

• Evergreen
• Medium to Large stature (40' x 40')​
• Flowers: Showy Pink/Rose
• Fruit: Yellow ripening to red.  Fallen fruit may be somewhat messy, but Tree Services accepts it on sidewalks.
• Similar to the native madrone tree of the Oakland hills

Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ or ‘Frans Fontaine’
European Hornbeam

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (40' x 20'-30' for 'Fastigiata', or half as wide for 'Frans Fontaine')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous 

Chitalpa tashkentensis
Chitalpa (hybrid of a Catalpa and a Chilopsis)

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (25'-35' x 30')
• Flowers: Showy White ('Morning Cloud') or Pink ('Pink Dawn')
• Limited use on a trial basis
  

Fraxinus dipetala
Foothill Ash or California Ash

• Deciduous
  
• Small to Medium stature (25' x 20')
• Flowers: Showy White
• California native
• Limited use on a trial basis
• We have not found any at local nurseries in the 15-gallon size required by our grant.
  
• All ash trees may be in danger from the emerald ash borer epidemic.

Geijera parviflora
Australian Willow

• Evergreen
• Medium stature (30' x 30')
• Flowers: White
• Not an actual willow (Salix)
• Usually small when first planted; not for high-traffic or busy pedestrian areas

Ginkgo biloba ‘Fairmont’, 'Princeton Sentry', or ‘Saratoga’
Ginkgo or Maidenhair Tree 

• Deciduous
• Large stature (50' x 30', but 'Princeton Sentry' is narrower)
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• These cloned male varieties do not produce fruit.
• Slow-growing and very small when first planted; not for high-traffic or busy pedestrian areas; low carbon sequestration.
  

Laurus nobilis ‘Saratoga’ 
Saratoga Laurel

• Evergreen
• Medium stature (40' x 20')
• Flowers: Green, White, or Yellow

Lophostemon confertus
(also known as Tristania conferta)
Brisbane Box

• Evergreen
• Large stature (40'-50' x 25')
• Flowers: Showy White

Melaleuca linariifolia
Flaxleaf Paperbark

• Evergreen
• Medium stature (20'-30' x 20'-25')
• Flowers: Fragrant White
• Limited use on a trial basis

Melaleuca quinquenervia 
Cajeput Tree

• Evergreen
• Medium stature (20'-40' x 15'-25')
• Flowers: Pink, Purple or Yellow

​Metrosideros excelsa
New Zealand Christmas Tree

• Evergreen
• Medium stature (40' x 30')
• Flowers: Showy Red
• Usually small and fragile when first planted; not for high-traffic or busy pedestrian areas

Nyssa sylvatica
Sour Gum or Tupelo

• Deciduous
• Large stature (40'-50' x 25')
• Named varieties, such as 'Wildfire', 'Red Rage', and 'Afterburner', have more uniform growth. We are also testing 'Green Gable', 'Select', and 'Tupelo Tower'.
• 'Wildfire' is freely available.  We have 1 or 2 of a few other varieties, but we expect to get a restock in Dec 2018.

Pistacia chinensis ‘Keith Davey’ or ‘Pearl Street’
Chinese Pistache

• Deciduous
• Medium to Large stature (40' x 30')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• These cloned male varieties do not produce fruit and have a more dependable tree form
• Seedling pistaches (which might be fruiting females) are available for planting in parks or yards.
• Nursery stock of the male clones is often too small to meet our grant requirements; be prepared for back-order delays of a month or more. 

Pyrus calleryana
Ornamental Pear

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (30'-40' x 20')
• We are not planting this species because of the high risk of fireblight

Robinia ‘Purple Robe’ 
Purple-Flowering Locust

• Deciduous
• Medium to Large stature (40' x 25')
• Flowers: Showy Pink/Purple
• Should be pruned in its first few years to promote strong branching

Robinia pseudoacacia 'Bessoniana'
'Bessoniana' Black Locust

• Deciduous
• Medium to Large stature (40' x 25'-35')
• Flowers: White, Fragrant
• Limited use on a trial basis
• 'Bessoniana' is thornless, compact, and less invasive than the species.
• CAL FIRE now prohibits us from using grant money on this variety because of possible invasiveness.

Sapium sebiferum (also known as Triadica sebifera)
Chinese Tallow Tree

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (30'-40' x 25'-30')
• We are not planting this species because of potential invasiveness

Tilia tomentosa
Silver Linden

• Deciduous
• Large stature (50' x 30')
• Flowers: Showy Fragrant Yellow/White

Ulmus propinqua 'Emerald Sunshine'
Emerald Sunshine Elm
Deciduous

• Medium stature (40' x 30')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• Smaller than other elms
• Limited use on a trial basis
• Low quantities at the nurseries, but we expect to get a new crop in fall 2018.

Trees for Large Wells:
Well min. 4'x6' or 5’x5’, or 4' wide strip

Our short-list (in alphabetical order):
Gymnocladus dioica ‘Espresso’ (Kentucky Coffee Tree, deciduous)
Koelreuteria paniculata (Goldenrain Tree​, deciduous)
Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius (Catalina Ironwood, evergreen)
Quercus shumardii ​(Shumard Red Oak, deciduous)
(We also like American elm, but it is out of stock now.)

The full list:
Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffersred’
(sometimes misspelled 'Jeffersed')
Autumn Blaze Red Maple

• Deciduous
• Large stature (55’-65’ x 30’-40')
• Red Flowers
• Limited use on a trial basis

Aesculus carnea ‘Briottii’
Red Horsechestnut

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (40' x 35')
• Flowers: Showy Red
• Slow-growing and very small when first planted; not for high-traffic or busy pedestrian areas; low carbon sequestration.

Fraxinus americana ‘Autumn Purple’
American Ash

• Deciduous
• Large to Extra-Large stature (50'-60' x 40')
• 'Empire' is also approved but not available at the nurseries we source from.
• All ash trees may be in danger from the emerald ash borer epidemic. Not a safe long-term investment.

Fraxinus oxycarpa ‘Raywood’ 
Raywood Ash

• Deciduous
• Medium to Large stature (40' x 25')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• All ash trees may be in danger from the emerald ash borer epidemic. Not a safe long-term investment.
• May be subject to dieback or other health problems in our area.

Gleditsia triacanthos inermis  ‘Shademaster’ or ‘Skyline’ 
Thornless Honey Locust

• Deciduous
• Large stature (40' x 30')

Gymnocladus dioica ‘Espresso’ 
Kentucky Coffee Tree

• Deciduous
• Large stature (60' x 40')
• 'Espresso' is a male variety without seedpods
• Limited use on a trial basis
  
• Out of stock until Dec 2018.
  

Koelreuteria bipinnata
Chinese Flame Tree

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (30' x 30')
• Flowers: Showy Yellow

Koelreuteria paniculata
Goldenrain Tree​

• Deciduous
• Medium stature (30' x 30')
• Flowers: Showy Yellow

Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius 
Catalina Ironwood

• Evergreen
• Large stature (50' x 40')
• Flowers: Showy White
• California native (Southern California islands)
• Limited use on a trial basis

Magnolia grandiflora 'D.D. Blanchard', 'Majestic Beauty',  'Samuel Sommer', or seedlings
Southern Magnolia (larger varieties)

• Evergreen
• Large stature (up to 60'-80' x 50'-60' but often smaller, depending on variety)
  
• Flowers: Showy White, Fragrant
  
• Less drought-tolerant than other species on this list
  
• Low quantities at nurseries; expect back-order delays of a month or more
  

Platanus x hispanica ‘Columbia’
(also known as Platanus x acerifolia 'Columbia')
London Plane 

• Deciduous
• Extra-Large stature (70' x 60')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• 'Columbia' is the best variety for Oakland, because it resists anthracnose and powdery mildew
• Already common as a street-tree, so we suggest planting only as infill on streets with other London plane trees

Podocarpus gracilior (Afrocarpus falcatus)
African Fern Pine

• Evergreen
• Extra-Large stature (65' x 20')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous

Quercus ilex
Holly Oak

• Evergreen
• Large stature (30'-60' x 30'-60')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• Limited use on a trial basis

​Quercus shumardii
​Shumard Red Oak

• Deciduous 
• Large stature (50' x 40')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous

​Quercus suber
Cork Oak

• Evergreen
• Large stature (55' x 55')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous

Ulmus americana ‘Jefferson’, 'New Harmony', or ‘Princeton’  
American Elm

• Deciduous
• Large to Extra-Large stature (60' x 45')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• These varieties are resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.
• 'Colonial Spirit' is another variety that we are testing on private property or in parks.
• Out of stock until Dec 2018.
  

Ulmus x ' Frontier'
Frontier Hybrid Elm

• Deciduous 
• Large stature (45' x 30')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous

Trees for Extra-Large Wells:
Well min. 6’x8’, or 6' wide strip

This is already a short list.  All oaks!

Quercus agrifolia 
Coast Live Oak

• Evergreen
  
• Large stature (50' x 60')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• California native: it is the "oak" for which Oakland is named
• Limited use on a trial basis

Quercus coccinea
Scarlet Oak

• Deciduous 
• Extra-Large stature (60' x 45')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous

Quercus douglasii
Blue Oak

• ​Deciduous
• Large stature (50' x 40')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• California native

Quercus macrocarpa
Bur Oak

• Deciduous
• Large to Extra-Large stature (60'-80' x 30')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• Variety 'Urban Pinnacle' has smaller acorns and narrow form
• Limited use on a trial basis
• Out of stock until Dec 2018.
  

​Quercus palustris
Pin Oak

• Deciduous
• Large to Extra-Large stature (60' x 35')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous

The list of approved street-trees also includes a category for Small Wells (well min. 2'x3') ...
... but Trees for Oakland does not plant them.
They are suitable for narrow or confined spaces, but they will never grow large enough to sequester enough carbon and give a good return on our funders' investment.
If we cannot find a way to make your planting area at least 3' wide, you may buy one of these "Small well" trees and plant it on your own, or we can forward your request to another organization to provide one for you.

Trees for Small Wells:

Acer buergerianum
Trident Maple

• Deciduous 
• Small stature (25' x 25')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous

Cercis canadensis
Eastern Redbud

• Deciduous
• Small stature (25' x 25')
• Flowers: Showy Pink/Rose
• Some varieties are available with white flowers ('Alba') or purple leaves ('Forest Pansy')
• Unreliable and often very slow-growing in Oakland, especially in the flatlands

Chionanthus retusus
Chinese Fringe Tree

• Deciduous
• Small stature (15'-20' X 10')
• Flowers: Showy, Fragrant White
• Limited use on a trial basis

Heteromeles arbutifolia
Toyon or Christmas Berry

• Evergreen
• Small stature (20' x 15')
• Flowers: Showy White
• California native
  
• Limited use on a trial basis
  
• We have not found a nursery growing a single-trunk specimen as required for streetside planting.
  

Lagerstroemia indica x L. fauriei 
Hybrid Crape Myrtle – ‘Muskogee’,  ‘Natchez’, or ‘Tuscarora’​

• Deciduous
  
• Small stature (25' x 20')
  
• Flowers: Showy Lavender ('Muskogee'), White ('Natchez'), or Pink ('Tuscarora')
  
• These varieties are best for Oakland because they resist powdery mildew
  

Parrotia persica

• Deciduous
• Small to Medium stature (20'-30' x 20'-30')
• Flowers: Showy Red

Photinia fraseri
Fraser Photinia

• Evergreen
• Small stature (20' x 15')
• Flowers: Showy White

Prunus x blireiana
Double-Pink-Flowering Plum

• Deciduous
• Small stature (20' x 20')
• Flowers: Showy Pink
• This species sometimes experiences an aphid infestation in the first year or two.

Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’ or 'Newport'
Purple-Leaf Plum

• Deciduous
• Small stature (20'-30' x 15'-20')
• Flowers: Showy Pink
• These varieties produce no fruit, or almost none

Pyrus kawakamii
Evergreen Pear

• Evergreen
• Small stature (15'-30' x 15'-30')
• We recommend not planting this species at all, because of the high risk of fireblight.

Rhus lancea
African Sumac

• Evergreen
• Small stature (20' x 20')
• Flowers: Inconspicuous
• Should be pruned in its first few years to promote good form

Tristania (Tristaniopsis) laurina
Water Gum

• Evergreen
• Small stature (25' x 20')
• Flowers: Showy, Fragrant Yellow

There is one more entry on Oakland's list that is a special case:
Magnolia grandiflora 'St. Mary' or 'Little Gem'
Southern Magnolia (smaller varieties)

• Evergreen
• Small stature (20'-25' x 10'-15')
• Flowers: Showy White, Fragrant
• Less drought-tolerant than other species on this list
• These varieties have relatively aggressive roots for their small size, so Oakland requires planting them in a "Medium" space (min. 3'x6' or 4'x4'), but they are too small-statured to qualify for our grant.
  

The City of Oakland's size categories for trees depend on the size of the available tree well.
Note that the required size of the well does not necessarily correspond to the size of the tree.  The revised species list in April 2017 includes a separate category for the height or stature of each species.

• Small: Minimum 2'x3', or a continuous strip 2' wide, and all locations with overhead high-voltage wires.  (On a case-by-case basis, the City will accept as "official" some taller species under high-voltage wires that are more than 35' up.)
  
• Medium: Minimum 3'x6' or 4’x4', or a continuous strip 3' wide.  Since CAL-FIRE requires at least 24 square feet per tree (3'x8', 3.5'x7', or 4'x6'), a grant-eligible well of "Medium" width must be longer than what the City would allow.
  
• Large: Minimum 4'x6' or 5'x5', or a continuous strip 4' wide.  This size automatically meets the CAL-FIRE requirement of 24 sq.ft. per tree.
  
• Extra-Large: Minimum 6'x8', or a continuous strip 6' wide.  This size automatically meets the CAL-FIRE requirement of 24 sq.ft. per tree.