Caring for Trees in Boulder

Due to our dry, high-elevation climate, tree care and planting in Boulder require some special considerations:

Before planting: Considering location and tree type before planting can help maximize energy efficiency benefits for buildings (for example, deciduous trees will shade the west, south, and east sides of the home in summer, and evergreen trees along the west and north edges of the lot will provide winter windbreaks), and prevent infrastructure damage caused by root growth.

Watering: Trees do best in moist soil, and Colorado has a very dry climate. Make sure to water generously and slowly to prevent runoff and penetration deep into the ground. Place mulch around a tree to retain more moisture.

Sun-scald: Due to our high elevation, young trees in Boulder are susceptible to “sun-scald” in the Winter. To protect immature trees, wrap the trunks of young trees seasonally.

Fruit Trees: Fruit-producing trees have a unique cultural heritage in Boulder, but they can attract wildlife and pests, are susceptible to disease, and can contribute to food waste, requiring some extra stewardship.

Check out the resources below as well as a list of tree care community partners to connect with!

Tree Care Articles

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Take Action: Propagate Trees!

Feeling down about climate change, wanting to do something, but not sure what? Consider propagating trees and giving them away!

Winter Tree Care Tips and Information about the PLAY Boulder Foundation’s Tree Trust

Learn about best practices for tree care during winter in Colorado, to keep trees healthy and happy all year long!

Keep Your Fruit Trees Healthy While Protecting Wildlife

Have you ever observed the abundance of apples growing throughout Boulder? There’s a reason why this surplus of fruit exists today. Learn how to care for fruit trees and protect Boulder’s wildlife.

Tree Planting Instructions

Boulder's dry climate and generally poor, alkaline soils present some difficulties for trees. Our soils are usually a shallow layer of compact clay with rocks, over a very dense clay subsoil that is hard for roots to penetrate. Healthy, long-lived urban trees get off to a good start when we pay attention to some tree-planting fundamentals. The following instructions have been shared with over 8,000 trees, which Your Neighborhood Christmas Tree Farm has grown from seed and given away in Boulder over the past 15 years.

The Best Ways To Water Trees In Our Dry, Colorado Climate

If you looked out across the Colorado Front Range hundreds of years ago, you would have seen grassy plains and very few trees. Growing trees in our region is difficult in wet years, let alone in drought years. What can you do during the hot, dry summer to help our leafy friends?

Check Out These Community Partners

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Boulder Apple Tree Project

Boulder Apple Tree Project works to connect the ecological and cultural heritage of apple trees in Boulder County helps to create a living resource that preserves the cherished place of apple trees in Boulder culture and provides a bank of historic, sustainable cultivars for the future.

Community Fruit Rescue

Community Fruit Rescue is a non-profit dedicated to harvesting and distributing the surplus urban fruit growing throughout Boulder, Colorado. Contact them to harvest your trees!

Your Neighborhood Christmas Tree Farm

Run by community leaders, Your Neighborhood Christmas Tree distributes hundreds of tree saplings for free every year.

We Love Trees, Inc.

We Love Trees, Inc., offers a wide variety of environmentally conscious tree and plant care, including diagnostics, pruning, removal, and pest management.

Colorado Tree Care Sector Partnership

Since 2017 the Colorado Tree Care Sector Partnership has been bringing together private tree care companies, municipalities, suppliers, and educators to strengthen the industry and increase the safety and quality of tree care throughout Colorado.

Play Boulder Foundation

The Tree Trust is a program led by the PLAY Boulder Foundation to work with citizens to support trees in Boulder and promote a healthy urban canopy for years to come. They frequently host tree sales and tree giveaways, as well as bi-annual “Tree Tender” trainings!