Trees are a vital part of our urban infrastructure and play a critical role in environmental quality, human health and well-being, green economy, social cohesion, and climate mitigation and adaptation.

Trees are cost effective long-term investments — green infrastructure — that add real value in dollars and cents to a community. In fact, the larger the tree, the greater the benefits – trees are the only type of infrastructure whose value INCREASES with time and age. In fact, when assessing the costs and benefits, we always come out ahead when we plant the right trees in the right place.

We couldn’t begin to count all of the ways trees are important, but here are 22 of them to get you started.

Please look at our Native Garden Kit, for any plants that we do sell. TreePeople does not sell or accept trees. The trees we grow in our nursery are used for our restoration work in Wildland Areas. We occasionally give away trees; follow us on social media for updates (links to our social accounts at the bottom of the page).

If you are an LADWP customer, you can receive up to seven free trees for your property through the City Plants Program! Please select TreePeople in the “How did you hear about us” section!

If you don't live in the City of Los Angeles, contact your local city government about whether they have a free tree distribution program.

If you are interested in organizing your own neighborhood street tree or local park tree planting and you live in Los Angeles County, then we can provide you with the knowledge and skills to do so – you can apply to become a Community Forester. Here at TreePeople, the belief that each and every one of us has the power to change the world in wonderful and profound ways impacts everything that we do.

Unfortunately, TreePeople cannot accept the gift of your tree. It is TreePeople's policy to not take in people's trees or plants or go to their property and dig them out. We purchase plants for specific projects or grow them here at our headquarters. We do not have room to hold them over indefinitely awaiting an appropriate project to plant them.

Also, we need to ensure that no pests or diseases are brought to our facility, perhaps undetected. We only purchase or bring in plants from approved nurseries or government growing areas. Our native-plant nursery is a strict Phytophthora -free (a pathogen) site and we take stringent measures to ensure that all pots and soils are sterilized.

If you need a way to give away your trees, people have had success advertising them on neighborhood messaging apps and sites as well as Craigslist.

TreePeople's Tree Dedications are a way to honor others through our organization's work. All of the trees that we plant and care for reside in Southern California, including local city parks, schools, streets, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the Angeles National Forest. Donations given through tree dedications support our forest and urban forest restoration work. Due to this holistic nature we take to tree planting and tree care we are unable to tag or plaque trees, or specify where a tree will be planted for each dedication, which is why the trees in our dedications are symbolic. Instead, these donations fund all of the trees we plant year-round.

To identify common urban tree species in California, please visit https://selectree.calpoly.edu/ or find a copy of “A Californian’s Guide to the Trees Among Us” by Matt Ritter. There are multiple mobile apps available as well.

First, determine the tree species. See “Can you help me identify a tree” question above.

Next, get information on the tree to determine the specific requirements for the tree (how to care for it). There’s a good chance that the problem with your tree is from improper tree care.

If you live in the City of Los Angeles, you can have the city come and inspect a tree by following these steps:

1. Install the 311 app
2. Click "Create A Service Request"
3. Scroll to "Trees/Vegetation
4. Click "Tree Emergency"

We do not know how long it will take the city to respond.

You can also consult a Certified Arborist who will be able to help assess the situation. Here is a database of certified arborists. You can search their website by zip code to find an arborist near you.

If you determine that your tree is sick from a pest or disease, LA County residents can send a sample (for free) for diagnosis or identification to the Entomology and Plant Pathology Laboratories of Los Angeles County. We recommend sending photos with the samples to make the process easier for the scientists making the diagnosis.

Here is a database of certified arborists. You can search their website by zip code to find an arborist near you: https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist

Here at TreePeople, we have a saying: “Right Tree, Right Place.” Take some time to figure out the appropriate tree for your climate and landscape – and choose plants and trees that are native to this region when you can

For general tree selection advice, visit SelecTree. The website provides valuable information to help you select the best species for your specific needs. Check out our learn page including the How to Choose the Right Tree for the Right Place guide

Unfortunately, we can’t help you trim your tree. We recommend contacting a certified arborist who will be able to assess the situation and instruct you on the proper care of your tree(s). Here is a database of certified arborists. You can search their website by zip code to find an arborist near you.

You can check out the Learn section on our website, which includes the videos: How to Prune a Tree and Living and Dead Branches. We also have videos in Spanish on pruning plants and more.

The legality of cutting down trees is determined on a case-by-case basis. TreePeople gets inquiries from around the world.

We don’t pretend to have solutions for every jurisdiction. This is why we filter inquiries sent to TreePeople’s general email/voicemail to appropriate staff, typically our Policy & Research or Forestry Departments to field specific questions. Please email info@treepeople.org with any questions.

We'd love to have you volunteer with us! To get started, take a look at our volunteer calendar of events and select an event that sounds interesting and works with your schedule. Once you are registered, we will email you a confirmation with directions and details for the event you chose.

We limit the amount of volunteers at each event so that everyone involved has a fun, fulfilling experience. If the event you would like to participate in is full, please check to see if we have space at another event. If not, please keep us in mind in the future.

If you're part of a group, organization, or business, we welcome you to volunteer at our tree plantings, tree care events, and mountain restorations! For group volunteering, please email volunteer@treepeople.org to find an event that can accommodate your group.

We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities including: tree planting, tree care, mountain restoration, park maintenance, and more.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can become a Volunteer Supervisor! We train two types of Volunteer Supervisors: one for urban forestry and one for mountain forestry. If you’re interested please email volunteer@treepeople.org.

We could not do our work without the help of volunteer leaders who provide the instruction and inspiration to make our work successful. If you're a natural leader or you want to develop your leadership skills, this opportunity may be just for you.

We currently offer speakers through our Teams for Trees program.

Absolutely! Our Community Forester Program teaches everyday people the extraordinary skills of renewing the urban landscape by planting and caring for trees. For more than 40 years, these programs have been a vibrant model of civic engagement, bringing people together to make our cities more beautiful.

Right now, we are not offering in-person workshops. We have multiple videos and worksheets that can help! Visit the Learn section of our website for more information.

How to get and apply mulch

Mulch is very important if you want your trees to grow healthy and strong!

Some arborists actually offer it for free; you can use this link to find a certified arborist near you.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works has a free mulch giveaway program for city residents. To find the location nearest you, visit the City of LA mulch program page. You are allowed to take as much mulch as you want. All you need to do is bring your own shovel and bags.

If you don't live in the LA, we suggest contacting your local city government about whether they have a mulch giveaway program.

Yes, the city provides free mulch. The person can visit this website for pickup locations: https://www.cityplants.org/free-mulch/

• LASAN: check LASAN website for details for free pick-up; bladimir.campos@lacity.org may have more details for LASAN mulch and possible delivery. Mulch is sanitized three times but may still have "undesired" scraps of non-bio materials.
• UFD mulch—may be able to deliver: David.ford@lacity.org
• Rec & Parks: contact Leon for park plantings needing mulch ( As of this time, tree care and tree planting events at LA City Parks are still on hold)

Yes there are! We have compiled resources to help you discover tools and ideas to make a more sustainable home.

If you decide to remove your turf, you may qualify for a rebate from the LADWP Landscape Transformation Program for LADWP customers or the Metropolitan Water District's Landscape Transformation Program if you have a different water provider. Rebates vary though the Metropolitan Water District’s program.

You can also learn more about rain barrels and tanks and apply for a rebate on rain barrels and cisterns through SoCalWaterSmart.com.

See our events calendar to find a workshop that suits your needs.