Want to know more about trees in Benicia? Then you have come to the right place!
Let's start with the top ten trees found in City parks and other City property in Benicia, as indicated in the Municipal Tree Inventory:
Top Ten Species of Trees, based on the number planted, in City of Benicia - Municipal Tree Inventory
Botanical Name |
Common Name |
Count |
Percent |
Value |
Pyrus calleryana |
ORNAMENTAL PEAR |
423 |
9.79% |
$ 552,080 |
Populus nigra 'Italica' |
LOMBARDY POPLAR |
278 |
6.43% |
$460,210 |
Pinus halepensis |
ALEPPO PINE |
245 |
5.67% |
$1,084,980 |
Fraxinus velutina 'Modesto' |
MODESTO ASH |
229 |
5.30% |
$118,980 |
Platanus acerifoia |
LONDON PLANE |
190 |
4.40% |
$280,540 |
Quercus agrifolia |
COAST LIVE OAK |
186 |
4.30% |
$604,360 |
Pinus canariensis |
CANARY ISLAND PINE |
162 |
3.75% |
$557,860 |
Pinus radiata |
MONTEREY PINE |
149 |
3.45% |
$544,690 |
Eucalyptus globulus |
BLUE GUM |
127 |
2.94% |
$896,590 |
Pistacia chinensis |
CHINESE PISTACHE |
117 |
2.71% |
$114,160 |
Other |
OTHER |
2,216 |
51.27% |
$7,781,305 |
|
TOTAL |
4,322 |
100.00% |
$12,995,755 |
The total value of these inventoried trees is almost $13 million dollars. These are only trees under municipal jurisdiction (mostly trees on streets and in parks) and do not include trees on private land, school and industry sites, and over 600 acres of open space owned by Benicia (maintained by the Benicia Fire Department.
The top ten trees aren't necessarily the best trees to grow in Benicia, they are just the trees that the City has planted most frequently. Experience from these plantings has demonstrated that some of these trees have significant flaws and should be avoided. These include the Ornamental Pear (limb failure and fireblight), Modesto Ash (anthracnose and mistletoe), and Monterey Pine (pitch canker). Trees that can grow well in Benicia if given the appropriate amount of moisture, are listed below.
City of Benicia | ||||||
Tree Palette | ||||||
Planter Size | Botanical Name | Common Name | Height | Spread | Type | Water Needs |
2'+ | Arbutus 'Marina' | Marina Arbutus | 35 | 35 | evergreen | low |
2'+ | Chionanthus retusus | Chinese Fringe Tree | 20 | 15 | deciduous | medium |
2'+ | Eriobotrya deflexa | Bronze Loquat | 25 | 25 | evergreen | medium |
2'+ | Heteromeles arbutifolia | Toyon | 25 | 20 | evergreen | low |
2'+ | Ilex altaclarensis 'Wilsonii' | Wilson Holly | 20 | 12 | evergreen | medium |
2'+ | Lagerstroemia indica | Crape Myrtle | 25 | 25 | deciduous | low |
2'+ | Malus floribunda | Japanese Flowering Crabapple | 18 | 12 | deciduous | medium |
2'+ | Malus floribunda 'Robinson' | Robinson Crabapple | 25 | 15 | deciduous | medium |
2'+ | Photinia fraseri | Fraser Photinia | 15 | 10 | evergreen | medium |
2'+ | Tabebuia chrysotricha | Yellow Trumpet Tree | 30 | 20 | semi | low |
2'+ | Tristania laurina | Water Gum | 15 | 10 | evergreen | medium |
3'+ | Cercis canadensis | Eastern Redbud | 35 | 30 | deciduous | medium |
3'+ | Cercis occidentalis | Western Redbud | 20 | 15 | deciduous | low |
3'+ | Crataegus phaenopyrum | Washington Hawthorn | 20 | 20 | deciduous | medium |
3'+ | Eriobotrya japonica | Japanese Loquat | 25 | 25 | evergreen | low |
3'+ | Eucalyptus erythrocorys | Red Cap Gum | 30 | 25 | evergreen | low |
3'+ | Pittosporum phillyraeoides | Willow Pittosporum | 20 | 15 | evergreen | medium |
3'+ | Podocarpus henkelii | Long-leafed Yellowwood | 35 | 15 | evergreen | medium |
5'+ | Acer buergerianum | Trident Maple | 25 | 25 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Acer campestre | Hedge Maple | 40 | 30 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Acer griseum | Paperbark Maple | 25 | 25 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Acer truncatum 'Pacific Sunset' | Pacific Sunset Maple | 25 | 25 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Betula platyphylla japonica | Japanese White Birch | 50 | 25 | deciduous | high |
5'+ | Brachychiton acerifolius | Flame Tree | 60 | 45 | semi | low |
5'+ | Brachychiton populneus | Bottle Tree | 50 | 45 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Callistemon viminalis | Weeping Bottlebrush | 30 | 15 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Calocedrus decurrens | Incense Cedar | 90 | 15 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' | Pyramidal European Hornbeam | 40 | 40 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Eucalyptus gunnii | Cidar Gum | 70 | 45 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Eucalyptus nicholii | Nichol's Willow-leafed Peppermint | 45 | 35 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Firmiana simplex | Chinese Parasol Tree | 30 | 15 | deciduous | low |
5'+ | Geijera parviflora | Australian Willow | 30 | 20 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Ginkgo biloba | Maidenhair Tree | 50 | 30 | deciduous | low |
5'+ | Koelreuteria paniculata | Goldenrain Tree | 35 | 40 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Laurus nobilis | Sweet Bay | 40 | 40 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Laurus nobilis 'Saratoga' | Saratoga Sweet Bay | 40 | 40 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Lyonthamnus floribundus spp. asplenifolius | Catalina Ironwood | 40 | 30 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Magnolia soulangiana | Saucer Magnolia | 25 | 25 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Metrosideros excelsus | New Zealand Christmas Tree | 30 | 30 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Nyssa sylvatica | Tupelo | 50 | 40 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Ostrya virginiana | American Hophornbeam | 40 | 40 | deciduous | low |
5'+ | Pinus eldarica | Afghan Pine | 80 | 50 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Pistacia chinensis | Chinese Pistache | 45 | 30 | deciduous | low |
5'+ | Podocarpus macrophyllus | Yew Pine | 50 | 30 | evergreen | medium |
5'+ | Quercus ilex | Holly Oak | 50 | 40 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Rhus lancea | African Sumac | 30 | 35 | evergreen | low |
5'+ | Sophora japonica | Japanese Pagoda Tree | 50 | 50 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Styrax japonicus | Japanese Snowbell | 30 | 30 | deciduous | medium |
5'+ | Ulmus 'Prospector' | Triumph Elm | 40 | 30 | deciduous | low |
5'+ | Ulmus parvifolia | Evergreen Elm | 50 | 60 | semi | low |
5'+ | Vitex agnus-castus | Chaste Tree | 25 | 20 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Acer negundo | Box Elder | 35 | 35 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Acer platanoides 'Crimson Sentry' | Columnar Red Norway Maple | 60 | 50 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Aesculus californica | California Buckeye | 20 | 30 | deciduous | very low |
8'+ | Betula nigra | River Birch | 80 | 60 | deciduous | high |
8'+ | Brachychiton discolor | Pink Flame Tree | 60 | 30 | semi | medium |
8'+ | Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' | Blue Atlas Cedar | 60 | 50 | evergreen | medium |
8'+ | Cedrus deodara | Deodar Cedar | 80 | 60 | evergreen | low |
8'+ | Cinnamomum camphora | Camphor Tree | 50 | 60 | evergreen | medium |
8'+ | Halesia monticola | Mountain Silverbell | 80 | 35 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Koelreuteria bipinnata | Chinese Flame Tree | 40 | 40 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Lophostemon confertus | Brisbane Box | 45 | 25 | evergreen | medium |
8'+ | Magnolia grandiflora | Southern Magnolia | 80 | 60 | evergreen | medium |
8'+ | Pinus brutia | Calabrian Pine | 80 | 50 | evergreen | low |
8'+ | Pinus canariensis | Canary Island Pine | 80 | 35 | evergreen | low |
8'+ | Pinus torreyana | Torrey Pine | 50 | 25 | evergreen | low |
8'+ | Platanus x hispanica | London Plane | 80 | 40 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Platanus racemosa | California Sycamore | 80 | 50 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Podocarpus gracilior | Fern Pine | 60 | 25 | evergreen | medium |
8'+ | Pterocarya stenoptera | Chinese Wingnut | 90 | 50 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Quercus acutissima | Sawtooth Oak | 70 | 70 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Quercus agrifolia | Coast Live Oak | 70 | 80 | evergreen | low |
8'+ | Quercus coccinea | Scarlet Oak | 80 | 60 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Quercus douglasii | Blue Oak | 50 | 70 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Quercus engelmannii | Engelmann Oak | 45 | 90 | evergreen | low |
8'+ | Quercus lobata | Valley Oak | 70 | 70 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Quercus macrocarpa | Bur Oak | 75 | 60 | deciduous | mediuim |
8'+ | Quercus palustris | Pin Oak | 80 | 40 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Quercus rubra | Red Oak | 75 | 50 | deciduous | mediium |
8'+ | Quercus shumardii | Shumard Oak | 80 | 60 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Quercus suber | Cork Oak | 60 | 60 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Quercus virginiana | Southern Live Oak | 60 | 100 | evergreen | medium |
8'+ | Quercus wislizenii | Interior Live Oak | 75 | 80 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Sequoia sempervirens | Coast Redwood | 100+ | 30 | evergreen | high |
8'+ | Tilia americana | American Linden | 60 | 25 | deciduous | medium |
8'+ | Ulmus parvifolia 'Frontier' | Frontier Elm | 80 | 50 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Ulmus wilsoniana 'Prospector' | Prospector Elm | 40 | 25 | deciduous | low |
8'+ | Umbellularia californica | California Laurel | 75 | 25 | evergreen | medium |
8'+ | Zelkova serrata | Sawleaf Zelkova | 60 | 60 | deciduous | medium |