Parks and Recreation

Denver requires that all street trees (trees planted in the public right-of-way) are approved by the city forester and are permitted. The planting permit is free and verifies the suitability of the proposed species and planting locations.

 

For a detailed list of acceptable trees for planting in the public right-of-way and their growth characteristics, download Forestry’s approved street tree list. To quickly check the status of a tree you wish to plant, refer to the Street Tree List below.

 

Please note: do not pre-buy any trees not listed for planting in the public right-of-way as they may not be permitted. Call 720-913-0651 or email the City Forester's Office to request a planting consultation with one of Forestry’s Arboreal Inspectors or a planting permit.

 

The planting of the following trees and classes of plants are prohibited in the public right-of-way by Parks and Recreation rules and regulations:

   Poplar species (Populus spp.),

   Willow species (Salix spp.),

   Boxelder (Acer negundo),

   Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila),
   Weeping or pendulous trees,

Trees with bushy growth habits that cannot be maintained to a single stem, and Shrubs or hedges that, by their growth habit, would obstruct, restrict, or conflict with the necessary and safe use of the public rights-of-way.

 

The planting of the following trees is temporarily suspended (for various reasons) in the public right-of-way. Please call the forestry office for more details regarding any of these moratoriums. 

   Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) and its hybrids (Autumn Blaze Maple, Acer x freemanii, etc.),

   Evergreen conifers, 

   Ash species (Fraxinus spp.),

   Sunburst honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis ‘Sunburst’),

   Mulberry species (Morus spp.),

   Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima),

   Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia),
   Walnut species (Juglans spp.)   
   Trees with thorns on the main stem or lower canopy, and

   Trees with fleshy fruits over ½-inch in diameter.

 

None of the above lists are meant to be all-inclusive, and trees not included on any list will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

 

Please call the forestry office and schedule a planting consultation prior to purchasing any plant material for the public right-of-way.

This list is provided as a quick reference guide to check whether a tree is acceptable as a street tree in Denver. For a more detailed listing with descriptions of the trees, please download Denver Forestry's acceptable street tree list.