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tree logoWe are collaborating with the Salt River Project’s shade tree program and the Valley Permaculture Alliance‘s fruit tree initiative on an urban tree community scientist project. Community members who have planted shade trees or fruit trees from these organizations voluntarily join scientists at Arizona State University to study how urban trees thrive and grow.

These community scientists enter information about their trees on a web portal every six months. Some of this information is about the health of the trees, how the trees have been tended, and measurements on how the trees have grown. We compile this information and share it with the community scientists and our collaborators at the Salt River Project and Valley Permaculture Alliance.

For more information on the Urban Tree Community Scientist Project, please contact caplter.outreach@asu.edu.

For current community scientists, here are links to how to measure your trees and a table for recording tree measurements.

What we have learned so far!

Since we began the urban tree community science program, over 300 people have shared information with us about close to 500 trees.

  •  The majority of urban tree community scientists (almost three-quarters) have trees that are thriving!
  • An even larger percentage report being satisfied with the types of trees they got, how the trees look, and the maintenance of the trees.
  • Urban tree community scientists are saving money and time by not using fertilizer since the trees distributed by SRP need no fertilization to grow and be healthy.
  • Desert willow is the most popular tree planted by our community tree scientists, followed by Thornless mesquite, Thornless palo verde, Willow acacia, Palo verde, and Native mesquite.Types of Trees graph
Did you know?
  •  Newly planted trees can be irresistible to dogs! Some of our urban tree community scientists reported that the family dog dug up their trees. Protect young trees with small garden fences and consult your favorite dog care website for other suggestions.
  • All of the trees distributed through the SRP shade tree program are low water use trees, which means that you don’t need to be watering these as much as other popular trees in the Valley like Arizona Ash.
  • The Landscape Watering by the Numbers publication given out at the shade tree workshop gives good information on how much to water desert adapted trees on page 18. Some trees may only need occasional watering once they are mature.
  • Care of Desert Adapted Plants is a source of additional information on growing desert-adapted trees. You may also contact Maricopa County Master Gardeners, (520) 549-1173, if you have questions.
  • The Valley Permaculture Alliance has a special online web forum on shade trees where you can ask questions and get answers about caring for your shade trees.
A tree grows in …

We’d love to see how your tree from the SRP shade tree program is growing. Please send photos of your trees to caplter.outreach@asu.edu (or communityscience@asu.edu). Include a small caption like in the photos submitted by urban tree community scientists below. We’ll post it here anonymously so that other urban tree community scientists can see your beautiful tree.

 
Peoria. Willow Acacia. Tree planted one year ago and doing exceptionally well.
Peoria. Willow Acacia. Tree planted one year ago and doing exceptionally well.
Mesa. Mesquite. Doing well but probably in need of some pruning!
Mesa. Mesquite. Doing well but probably in need of some pruning!
Peoria. Desert Willow. Tree is doing exceptionally well.
Peoria. Desert Willow. Tree is doing exceptionally well.
Mesa. Desert Willow. Doing well!
Mesa. Desert Willow. Doing well!
East Mesa. Desert Willow. Doing awesome!
East Mesa. Desert Willow. Doing awesome!
Gilbert. Tree doing well. The only water it receives is from the AC unit and rainwater.
Gilbert. Desert Willow. Tree doing well. The only water it receives is from the AC unit and rainwater.