Community Resources

Maintaining our community's trees is crucial to taking care of the place we call home. From planting approved trees suitable to Fort Collins’ climate to doing your part to mitigate invasive species, there are many ways you can contribute to keeping our urban forest vibrant and healthy!

Check out our repository of resources, which include tips on how to maintain trees on your property, choose what types of trees are best to plant, ensure a consistent watering schedule and more.

Selecting Trees

When you are ready to plant new trees and shrubs on your property, there are a few things you should take into account:

Consider using drought-tolerant and/or native species. Once established, these tree species will be better able to survive Colorado's dry high plains climate and periodic drought conditions.
Think about how large the trees will be at maturity. Each tree variety will have certain size and shape characteristics. In order for your trees to thrive in the urban landscape, they must be given enough space to grow to their adult size.
Plant your tree in the right conditions. Trees should be properly planted where site conditions closely match the tree's environmental requirements. Think about where on your property your tree will go and whether it fits these requirements.
Avoid trees with wounds, bruises, incorrect pruning cuts, or insect injuries on the trunk. Remember, tree wraps or plastic tree guards can hide this damage, so inspect the trunk carefully. Inspect the tree's branch structure. Avoid trees with included bark and codominant stems. Make sure the root ball is sound and an adequate size for the tree. Healthy tree roots should be at or near the surface of the container. They should also be alive, unbroken and light-colored at the tips.
The Community Tree Alliance recommends using smaller trees (2 inches or less in diameter for deciduous trees and 6 feet or less in height for evergreen trees) to minimize investment risk and decrease maintenance.

Planting Trees

In order to maintain a healthy and vibrant urban forest, it's important to have a diversity of tree species and ages. We also need to continually plant new trees to replace those lost to drought, old age, disease, insects and injury. Here are some things to consider before planting your tree:

Planting trees and shrubs during drought conditions can be risky. However, we can be more successful if we proceed with care and adopt a more sustainable landscape management technique called xeriscaping.
The ideal time to plant a tree is during the dormant season in the fall after leafdrop or in early spring before bud-break. Temperatures are generally cooler and allow the plants to establish roots in the new location before spring rains and summer heat stimulate new top growth. Planting during the summer can also be successful but has a greater risk and requires more irrigation.
Decide how deep to plant the tree. The tree's root collar or trunk flare is the bulge just above the root system where the main woody roots spread at the base of the tree. This point should be partially visible above the top of the soil after the tree has been planted.

How to plant a tree:

Prepare the planting site. Dig a shallow, wide, saucer-shaped hole two to three times larger than the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball. This helps the soil get established in the landscape. Before planting in areas with underground utilities, contact the Utility Notification Center of Colorado at 1-800-922-1987.
Place the tree at the proper depth so the root flare is at grade or higher. Make sure the hole has been dug to the proper depth and no deeper. To avoid damage to the tree, lift or move the tree by the root ball and never by the trunk.
Straighten the tree in the hole by handling the root ball, not the trunk. View the tree from several different directions to make sure it’s straight.
Backfill the hole, gently but firmly. Fill the hole about 1/3 full with the soil that was removed. As the backfill is added, gently push the soil around the roots or water the soil to eliminate air pockets.
Stake the tree, if necessary. Protective staking may be necessary on sites where there is a possibility of lawnmower damage, vandalism or windy conditions. Use two support stakes in conjunction with a flexible tie attached to the top of each stake to hold the tree upright (stakes should be removed after the first year of growth).
Mulch your tree. Apply organic mulch within the dripline to a depth of no more than 4 inches. Leave a 3-4 inch space between the mulch and trunk of trees. Make sure to eliminate turf under trees prior to adding mulch.
Water your new tree correctly. Apply water so it moistens the critical root zone to a depth of 12 inches.
Properly prune your newly planted tree. At planting time, you should carefully inspect your newly planted tree and remove any broken, dead, wounded, rubbing or disease-infested branches.

Tree Maintenance

Watering Your Tree

Tree root systems can spread 2-3 times wider than the height of the tree. As a result, most of the tree's fine absorbing roots are in the top 12 inches of the soil. Water should be applied within the dripline of the tree.

Water deeply and slowly. It is important to water slowly, so the water can completely infiltrate down to the tree's root system. Watering for short periods of time will only encourage shallow root development, which can lead to more severe drought damage.

Methods for Watering

Methods for watering include a soaker hose (preferred method), deep root fork, deep root needle or soft spray wand. For evergreens, water 3-5 feet beyond the dripline on all sides of the tree. If a deep root fork or needle is used, insert the device no deeper than 8 inches into the soil.

Do not dig any holes around your tree in an effort to water deeply. This will tend to dry out the roots even more and may result in direct damage to the roots.

Watering Schedules

Spring & Summer (April-September)

1"	2"	3"	4"	6"	10"	12"	14"+
5 minutes per week	10 minutes per week	15 minutes 1-2 times per month	20 minutes 1-2 times per month	30 minutes per month	75 minutes per month	90 minutes per month	105 minutes per month

Fall & Winter (October-March)

Water all trees 1-2 times per month as listed below.

<1"	1"	2"	4"	6"	8"	10"	12"	14"+
2 minutes	5 minutes	10 minutes	20 minutes	30 minutes	40 minutes	50 minutes	60 minutes	70 minutes

Drought Best Practices

Periods of drought are common on Colorado's Front Range. Many of the tree species planted in our communities thrive in regions where rainfall exceeds 30+ inches annually, but the Fort Collins area only receives 15 inches on average annually. So, supplemental irrigation is needed for most of our landscape trees.

What is the impact of drought on our trees?

Water stress affects most of the physiological processes involved in plant growth. Initially, you may notice the leaves beginning to wilt, followed by chlorosis (yellowing), browning and scorching. In conifers you will probably notice yellowing and browning on needle tips.

During a prolonged drought, leaves may be smaller than normal and drop prematurely or remain attached but exhibit a brown or scorched appearance. Trees also become more susceptible to disease and insect pest infestations at these times.

Landscape Management Techniques

Because droughts limit our water resources, we need to adopt more sustainable landscape management techniques appropriate for our semi-arid, high plains climate. Xeriscaping is one such method, resulting in attractive landscapes that also conserve water and is based on sound horticultural practices and shows positive evidence of care.

Since many communities are implementing outdoor water restrictions, trees should be given a higher watering priority than your lawn. If you lose your turf to drought, it can be replaced in a matter of months, but it will take 20 years to replace a 20-year-old tree!

What Trees Can I Plant?

The following list has been compiled by City Forestry to help property owners, developers and landscapers select trees that are suitable for Fort Collins. These trees have been selected based on their adaptability to our soil conditions and climate variability. Trees selected for planting as public street trees should be from the list below or approved by the City Forester.

Shade trees should be placed 30-40 ft apart and planted in the center of the parkway strip. Ornamental trees are only permitted as street trees when space is limited. Please contact the City Forester for approval of ornamental trees and shade trees not listed.

All new trees planted in City of Fort Collins right-of-way require a permit. Before you start the process of planting a tree in the right-of-way, please reach out to forestry@fortcollins.gov.

Approved Street Trees

Botanic Name/ Common Name	Moisture Requirements	Average Height x Canopy Spread at Maturity	Cultivars	Features
Catalpa speciosa Northern catalpa	Low-medium	50 x 30		Large, white flowers in May-June, long seed pods, tolerant of heat and alkaline soil, moderate salt tolderance.
Celtis occidentalis Northern hackberry	Medium	45 x 35		Withstands alkaline soil and salt, has grayish corky bark, nipple-gall and anthracnose can be an issue in the Front Range.
Gleditsia triacanthos inermis Honeylocust	Low-medium	40 x 30	Shademaster, Skyline, Imperial	Well-adapted to a range of urban conditions, susceptible to cankers and root rot, reaching maximum species percentage in Fort Collins.
Gymnocladus dioica Kentucky coffeetree	Low-medium	60 x 40	Espresso, JC McDaniel, Stately Manor, Decaf	Tolerant of poor soil conditions, pollution and salt, relatively pest- and disease-free, may be slow to establish.
Quercus buckleyi Texas red oak	Low-medium	35 x 35		Closely related to shumard oaks, has good fall colors, tolerates clay, alkaline soil and heat, grows well in full sun.
Quercus macrocarpa Bur Oak	Low-medium	70 x 60	Bulletproof, Cobblestone, Urban Pinnacle	Long-lived, adapted to a variety of soil and moisture conditions, full sun is ideal, acrons have fringed caps, can be difficult to transplant.
Quercus muehlenbergii Chinkapin oak	Low-medium	50 x 50	Red Autumn	Requires full sun, pyramidal shape when young, round in form at maturity, tolerates clay, alkaline soil.
Quercus shumardii Shumard oak	Low-medium	60 x 40	Fort Collins Select, Osage county	Has crimson-red fall foliage, western seed stock is better adapted to Colorado.
Tilia americana American linden	Medium	35 x 25	Boulevard, Frontyard, Legend, Sentry, Redmond	Produces pale yellow flowers that attract bees in the spring, yellow-orange fall color, can grow in high pH soils and in full or partial sun, not suitable along streets treated with deicing salts, susceptible to Japanese beetles.
Tilia cordata Littleleaf linden	Medium	40 x 30	Chancellor, Dropmore, Greenspire, Norlin, Olympic, Prestige, Shamrock	Requires full or partial sun, leaves are much smaller than American lindens, not suitable along streets treated with deicing salts, more tolerant of air pollutants than American lindens, susceptible to Japanese beetles.
Tilia x flavescens Glenleven linden	Medium	45 x 25		A relatively fast-growing species with more open form.
Ulmus spp.	Low-medium	60 x 45	Accolade, New Horizon, David	Thin and waxy leaves, needs structural pruning, has shown good resistance to Dutch elm disease, elm leaf beetle and leaf miners.
Aesculus glabra Ohio buckeye	Medium	30 x 30	Autumn Splendor	Dense canopy, produces greenish-yellow flowers, shade tolerant prone to sunscorch.
Aesculus hippocastanum Common horsechestnut	Medium	60 x 50	Autumn Splendor, Ruby Red	Snowy white and red flowers, prefers well drained soil, tolerant of high pH.
Acer grandidentatum Bigtooth maple	Low-medium	20 x 30	Manzano	Variability in fall color, no notable pests or diseases.
Corylus colurna Turkish filbert	Low	45 x 30		Thrives in cold winters and hot summers, can tolerate a range of pH, requires full sun.
Acer saccharum Sugar maple	Medium-high	60 x 40	Caddo, Green Mountain, Legacy, Fall Fiesta	Shade tolerant, can grow in different pH levels, poor salt tolerance, susceptible to leaf scorch and verticillium wilt, requires wider parkways.
Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo	Low-medium	50 x 35	Autumn Gold, Presidential, Sentry	Only male trees should be planted, relatively pest and disease free, can be slow growing, adapted to range of pH, pollutants, salt and heat, bright yellow foliage in fall.
Platanus acerifolia Londonplane	Low-medium	80 x 65	Bloodgood, Exclamation	A hybrid of the American sycamore and the Oriental planetree, mottled olive and brown bark, well-adapted to a range of pH, light availability and pollution levels.
Styphnolobium japonicum Japanese pagodatree	Medium	50 x 50		Native to China and Korea, tolerant of air pollution and heat and drought when established, produces fragrant, white flowers and bean-like pods.
Syringa reticulata Japanese tree lilac	Medium	20 x 15	Ivory Silk	Has an oval crown and produces white creamy flowers that attract pollinators.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a place to drop off tree limbs I've pruned from my tree?

The City does not accept tree limbs or any yard waste. However, your trash hauler may provide options for yard waste collection. Some local businesses also accept yard waste and tree limbs for recycling:

Ewing Landscape Materials
Doug Weitzel’s, Inc.
Timberline Recycling Center
Larimer County Landfill

Where can I get free mulch?

Mulch is placed in the bins at the locations listed below each week. Specific times and/or days of the week are not scheduled. If the bin(s) are empty, residents must check again on another day. Community members may take as much mulch as they need; not for commercial businesses.

Timberline Recycling Center (1903 S. Timberline Rd.)
Gardens on Spring Creek (2145 Centre Ave.)

I cut down my tree that had Mountain Pine Beetle, what do I do with the wood?

There are three options:

You can have a company come to your house to chip all the wood and then use the mulch yourself, or have that company haul it away.
You can take all the wood to the Larimer County Landfill to have it buried. You need to let them know it's infested wood, so please contact them at 970-498-5760 for further instructions.
You can strip the bark from the wood and then use the wood as you wish, but this is a tedious process and may not be worth the work. The bark would still have to be taken to the landfill.

Can the City intervene if a private tree is dead and poses a safety risk?

The City cannot offer any legal advice or financial assistance to residents if trees are on private property but do not pose a significant safety risk to the public right-of-way.

If the City of Fort Collins Forestry Division determines a private tree is a risk to public safety, the City will send a Notice To Remove that requires the property owner to remove the tree(s) within a reasonable time frame. The definition of ‘risk to public safety’ means that if the tree were to fall, it could reach public property (i.e., street, sidewalk, park or any City-owned public use property) and cause significant damage.

Contact Us

Email

forestry@fortcollins.gov

Phone

970-221-6660