10,000 Trees

Tucsonans have planted 19,711 trees so far. Help plant the next 10,000!

Planting the 10,000th tree at Oyama Elementary School, October 2014

Planting the 10,000th tree at Oyama Elementary School, October 2014

With some hard freezes in recent years, Tucson has lost more tree canopy than we’ve replaced. Mayor Rothschild has worked with Trees for Tucson, its sponsors and partners—and individual Tucsonans like you—to plant thousands of trees. We reached our first 10,000 trees goal in October 2014!

Trees do a lot…

  • Cool and clean the air
  • Help cool nearby buildings, reducing utility bills
  • Beautify neighborhoods, and increase property values
  • Increase foot traffic into business establishments
  • Store carbon, reducing our carbon footprint
  • Provide food and shelter for wildlife, especially birds

Where trees are needed

Parts of Tucson have lots of trees. Other areas have very few, and that poses heat-related health risks, especially for seniors and children. To focus efforts on planting trees where they’re needed most, Mayor Rothschild has designated special shade priority areas, shown in orange on the map below.

Shade priority areasShade priority areas

How you can help—plant some trees! (& record them here)

At home

  • Visit participating nurseries and ask about native and desert-adapted trees.
  • Customers of Tucson Electric Power or TRICO Electric Cooperative can get up to 3 trees to shade their homes for as little as $8 (TEP) or $15 (TRICO) per tree.

And throughout Tucson

  • Contact Trees for Tucson for help organizing community tree planting events.
  • Donate to Trees for Tucson’s Tree Bank  to support tree planting events at schools and other public spaces.

Tree planting & maintenance tips

  • Select native or desert-adapted trees—they use less water and are more likely to survive Tucson’s heat and occasional freezes. Check out these varieties.
  • Take into account the mature size of the tree and its root system to avoid possible conflicts with utility lines, structures, sidewalks, or other trees.
  • Before digging, contact Arizona Blue Stake to locate and mark underground utilities.
  • Use rainwater or graywater to irrigate your trees and you could receive a rebate from Tucson Water.
  • Even native trees need to be watered for at least 2 or 3 years after planting, and most should not be pruned during that time. More tips here.

For more information on the Mayor’s 10,000 Trees Campaign, email Ryan Anderson, or call him at (520) 791-4201.