Pasadena street trees: what counts as a City tree
A Pasadena street tree is any public tree whose trunk stands mostly in a parkway, a public sidewalk, a median, a traffic island or other public right-of-way (section 8.52.020 AA). The parkway is the strip between the property line and the curb. Where a street has no sidewalk, a City tree can sit near the front edge of a lot. The City's urban forest runs to more than 60,000 public trees by its own count.
How to request work on a street tree
Contact the Pasadena Citizen Service Center at 626-744-7311 or online. The City prunes its trees on cycles and handles safety work out of cycle. For special maintenance or a removal that isn't about a dead or hazardous tree, a resident can make a written request; the City weighs it against its public tree removal criteria, other tree work and resources, and if it's granted the requester pays the cost of the work and of a replacement tree at Council-set rates. Before removing any public tree, the City gives at least 10 days' written notice to the abutting owners, unless the tree is hazardous.
What the City charges
| Item | FY2026 | FY2027 recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-cycle trimming request, processing fee | $163.15 | $167.93 |
| Trim small tree, about 12 in DBH max (up to 2 trees) | $413.78 | $425.91 |
| Trim medium tree, 13 to 20 in (up to 2 trees) | $755.42 | $777.56 |
| Trim large tree, 21 in and up (up to 2 trees) | $1,480.78 | $1,524.19 |
| Public tree removal application (up to 10 trees) | $381.41 | $392.59 |
| Assessed value inspection | $502.06 | $516.78 |
| Public tree removal | At cost | At cost |
| Replacement tree, 24 in box / 36 in box | $1,074.70 / $1,747.80 | $1,106.21 / $1,799.04 |
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FY2027 General Fee Schedule, council agenda June 8, 2026. A 15-gallon replacement is standard at no cost; larger boxes are an upgrade. Confirm current rates with the City.
What the owner can and can't do
You can
- Report a dead, damaged or hazardous street tree, or a limb over the sidewalk or street
- Ask for out-of-cycle trimming, at City rates
- Water the parkway tree, especially in a dry summer
- Hire a tree service for trees on your side of the property line, including limbs of your own trees over the parkway
You can't
- Prune, top, injure or remove a public tree, or hire anyone to
- Attach lights, wires, signs or nails to it without written permission
- Plant a species other than the official street tree for your street in the parkway
- Grind or dig out a parkway stump yourself
Changes to Pasadena's street tree plan
Pasadena's Master Street Tree Plan dates from 1940, with its last major update in 1976. In 2025 and 2026 the City added room to swap fire-prone or declining species, and Public Works planned to raise planting from about 400 to 600 trees a year with a focus on native species such as oaks. On palms, the Public Works Director said in 2025, “I think we're going to work our way away from that.” Healthy street trees aren't removed early under the change.
Your trees, our side of the line
Everything on your side of the property line is yours to manage: see tree trimming in Pasadena, tree removal and stump grinding, and check the tree removal permit guide for protected trees. A City tree that falls on your property in a storm is still the City's; see emergency tree removal. In Altadena, parkway trees belong to Los Angeles County Public Works; see tree removal in Altadena.
Last reviewed October 2026.