Learn About Phoenix's Urban Forest

Phoenix City parks and street landscapes are home to a veritable forest in the city that adds millions of dollars worth of benefits to quality of life by improving air quality, storm water management, energy savings, shade and aesthetics.

Urban Tree Planting:
Benefits outweigh costs to Phoenix

Arizona State University and the forestry team have worked together to illustrate the importance of Urban Tree Planting and to share their findings that both the financial, environmental, and social benefits of planting the right trees in the urban environment will greatly outweigh the cost of the tree planting and maintenance.

Growing a Healthier, more Livable and Prosperous Phoenix

Parks and Recreation Department staff also have led the City's Tree and Shade Task Force, a multi-department team mapping an aggressive strategy to improve the city's tree and shade canopy, a crucial element in keeping the city livable in the decades to come.

Tree and Shade Master Plan

The Master Plan is the product of the Tree and Shade Task Force, a multi-department committee led by the Parks and Recreation Department. The task force met for a year and half to evaluate the causes of Phoenix's declining urban forest. The task force also looked at regulatory hurdles that prevent the construction of shade structures over public sidewalks. The Master Plan was adopted by the City Council on January 5, 2010.

The Tree and Shade Master Plan strives to create a healthier, more livable and prosperous Phoenix through the strategic investment in care and maintenance of the urban forest and engineered shade. Trees and shade structures are critical components of the infrastructure and over the long-term can save the City millions of dollars. The Master Plan provides a detailed roadmap to achieve an average 25% shade canopy coverage for the entire city.

Read the Tree and Shade Master Plan Shade Phoenix - Green Dashboard 2030

What's the most common tree type in City parks and along City streets?

The Mesquite, Prosopis velutina accounts for 8.8 percent of the trees in those areas. Blue Palo Verde, Parkinsonia florida ranks second at 6.8 percent. Below is a listing of other common trees found in the Phoenix area: