SAC LOCALS
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Why Sacramento Is Called the City of Trees

Sacramento wasn't always leafy. Here's the story of how the City of the Plains became the City of Trees, from Gold Rush shade to the water tower fight.

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By Nica.

Drive or walk through the various parts of Sacramento on a hot summer day, and the City of Trees nickname starts to make sense pretty quick. One minute you're baking in the peak August heat, and the next you're cruising beneath a canopy of leafy branches.

But Sacramento wasn't always this green, and there is no guarantee it will stay this green if we don't try to maintain and grow what we have. The city we know today got that way through generations of tree planting, civic pride, a few heated debates, and a whole lot of watering.

Here's how Sacramento earned its leafy reputation, and why people are still pretty attached to it.

Before the trees, there were the plains

Dearest gentle Sacramentans, it's story time. Back in the early 1850s, Sacramento was better described as the City of the Plains. I'm so glad that's not a nickname for us in these modern times. How depressing. Much of the surrounding valley was grassland, although oak woodlands grew on higher ground and trees like cottonwood, willow, sycamore, and valley oak lined the rivers.

Sacramento started to grow fast once the Gold Rush came in 1848. Existing trees were cut down or damaged as the city developed, and some early visitors described enormous oaks and sycamores standing in the streets. Unfortunately, this is a part of growth and creating the right environment for local residents to have housing, make a living... otherwise known as surviving.

And if you live here, you know that the summer heat, and how long this season loves to be around, doesn't help. Sacramento was already known for brutally hot weather, and trees weren't just a nice visual perk. They made spending time outdoors a whole lot more bearable with shade.

(Narrator: It turns out that making a city more livable was a pretty good reason to start planting trees. Cut down some of the trees, but plan to grow a lot more.)

Why early Sacramento locals went all-in on trees

Early Sacramento had plenty of problems to deal with. Aside from fighting off the horrendous nickname "the City of the Plains," fires tore through the city in 1850, 1852, and 1854. Cholera struck in 1850, and flooding repeatedly disrupted life in the growing settlement.

Trees weren't going to solve all those problems, of course, but people increasingly saw them as a way to make the city healthier and more comfortable. They provided shade, helped cool the surroundings, and the consensus seemed to be that trees improve local conditions.

(Narrator fun fact: Studies highlighted by the World Resources Institute indicate that tree shade improves human thermal comfort by 3.6°F to 14.4°F (2°C to 8°C). This range has a lot to do with radiant heat that comes off of hot pavements vs. ground that might have grass. Big thanks to the generations before us for going all in on trees to make Sacramento heat a little more bearable, but you'll read about that below.)

By the 1870s, Sacramento was even planting eucalyptus trees, partly because people thought they could help dry out swampy ground and reduce malaria.

And the enthusiasm for planting wasn't some small or secret counterculture movement. It seems like it was a collective sentiment. In the 1850s, this tree movement was literally trending! A newspaper in 1855 described residents as having a sort of tree-planting mania. Around that same period, one visitor predicted Sacramento would become a "city of trees," giving us one of the earliest known uses of the phrase.

Many early settlers had come from the East Coast, where leafy streets and familiar shade trees were part of the landscape. And if you have ever visited that side of the US, it's hard not to notice how green many of those states are as a result of their weather systems. Lucky for us, those early settlers brought those tree preferences with them, and elms became popular around town.

Nurserymen also helped introduce new plants to the region. One was credited with bringing camellias to Sacramento, which eventually helped earn the city another nickname: Camellia City.

(Narrator: Apparently, Sacramento has never been short on interesting nicknames.)

How the City of Trees became part of Sacramento's identity

By the early 1900s, the City of Trees nickname was catching on, and some influential locals were determined to make sure Sacramento lived up to it.

One of those locals was C.K. McClatchy, the longtime editor of The Sacramento Bee. After visiting Paris in 1911, he returned impressed by its tree-lined streets and became a vocal supporter of Sacramento's urban forest.

You might hear that McClatchy came up with the City of Trees nickname, but the phrase was already being used decades earlier. His contribution was helping turn it into a lasting part of Sacramento's identity.

(Narrator fun fact: The Sac Bee used to publish obituaries when notable trees were cut down or ruined by vandals.*)

Meanwhile, the city was putting more effort into planting and maintaining trees. Landscaping at the state Capitol grounds began in 1870, and parks such as Land Park were developed in the following decades.

In 1923, Sacramento launched an annual campaign offering free street trees to residents. Boy Scouts even went door to door to encourage people to sign up.

By the 1950s, a Bee comparison found that the city had roughly one public tree for every two residents. This figure put Sacramento well ahead of Paris in that comparison.

With many decades of continued efforts, the nickname was no longer just a catchy description and became part of our DNA. And it was something that the city actively worked to maintain.

Growth, heat, and a new focus on the urban forest

Sacramento's postwar growth brought a new set of challenges. Neighborhoods expanded quickly, and some new developments went in without much tree planting. As air conditioning became more common, natural shade provided by trees may have seemed less essential to some homeowners and developers. Also, to be fair, an AC unit is a very quick modern solution vs. planting a tree and caring for it for years before it gives you decent shade.

In 1960, the city passed an ordinance requiring tree planting in new developments. But trees still faced plenty of challenges, from severe weather to pests and disease. Dutch elm disease, which reached Sacramento in 1990, also took a toll.

In 1982, residents and civic leaders established the Sacramento Tree Foundation to help protect and expand the region's urban forest.

(Narrator: STF is still around and alive today. Please support and visit https://sactree.org if you want to learn more about what they do.)

The organization later partnered with SMUD on the Sacramento Shade program, which launched in the 1990s with an ambitious goal of planting one million trees throughout the county by 2000. As of 2026, SMUD reports that the partnership has planted more than 630,000 shade trees since 1990.

(Narrator experience: Our own backyard has a healthy pineapple guava from the program, and after a couple of years, it’s slowly growing into the kind of tree that gives us both fruit and shade. The process was super easy. We picked the tree we wanted, submitted a few measurements and photos of the planting area, and before we knew it, the tree was delivered to our home.

The hardest part was probably picking the right tree, digging the hole, and hauling the tree from the front yard to the backyard. It sounds like a workout because, well, it was a bit of one due to clay soil. But with the right tools, it really wasn’t too bad. Now we get to watch it grow, knowing it’ll keep giving back for years to come. And eventually, we’ll have even more shade to enjoy when Sacramento decides to turn the thermostat up to absolutely not.)

Here's another interesting detail: a 1998 study found that trees along public streets and in parks accounted for only about 9% of Sacramento's total tree population at the time.

In other words, a huge part of the City of Trees was growing in people's backyards.

That distinction matters. Sacramento's urban forest isn't just made up of trees the city plants and maintains. It also includes trees on private property, in residential neighborhoods, on commercial land, and in other spaces throughout the city.

The water tower debate: City of Trees vs. Farm-to-Fork Capital

If you've ever driven along I-5 near Sacramento, you might remember the water tower that welcomed visitors with the words "Welcome to Sacramento. City of Trees."

For years, it was a familiar landmark. Then, in March 2017, Visit Sacramento had the tower repainted to promote a different identity: "America's Farm-to-Fork Capital."

The reasoning was pretty straightforward. Visit Sacramento argued that plenty of other cities claimed to be the City of Trees, while the Farm-to-Fork title helped Sacramento stand out. The region's agricultural roots, local farms, and food scene offered a distinct story to tell visitors.

But not everyone was ready to trade one nickname for the other.

The change sparked a wave of local frustration, and a petition calling for the return of the City of Trees slogan quickly gathered thousands of signatures. For some residents, the issue wasn't really about paint on a water tower. It was about giving up a piece of Sacramento's identity.

Apparently, even a water tower can get caught in a Sacramento identity crisis.

The debate highlighted a longer-running question: What should Sacramento be known for?

We have plenty of options. It's a government town, a river city, a center for agriculture, and a place with a huge food and restaurant scene. Farm-to-Fork and City of Trees represent different sides of that identity, and local leaders have long wrestled with how to promote them.

The good news IMO? None of these identities have to compete. Why can't we be proud of these various aspects of the place we call home? Sactown residents can celebrate everything from the surrounding farms, food scene, and agricultural roots without giving up the trees that make a scroll through town a little more bearable in August. The proof of our greenery is everywhere.

(Narrator side story: My friend recently visited Sacramento for the first time and was genuinely surprised by the sheer volume of trees he kept seeing in the area. We were enjoying a lovely coffee from Temple Coffee off of Fair Oaks Blvd, and he seemed surprised at the surrounding area. It was also kind of horrifying how low his bar or expectations were. I'll take full blame. Over the years of knowing me, he was used to my frequent mentions of really dry and hot summer days and that sure skewed his perception. Between the scenery, the coffee, and eventually our amazing dinner, I think it's safe to say he wants to come back to explore more.)

Is Sacramento still the City of Trees?

For the most part, yes. But there's more to the story than how many trees the city has.

Sacramento has a history and has been associated with a large urban forest for a long time, and estimates of the city's tree population have put it around one million. Treat this number as a rough estimate, though, rather than a precise count of every tree growing within city limits. But now that it's top of mind, digging into the numbers seems like a fun rabbit hole to go down.

If you happen to be a data nerd or just someone a bit more curious about the numbers, check out the City of Sacramento's City-Maintained Trees dataset... it's a useful starting point and provides information about trees the city maintains. Note: it doesn't represent every tree on private property or throughout the wider Sacramento region.

Another cool project to take a glance at is MIT's Treepedia project. This offers another way to look at urban greenery. Sacramento is one of the cities included, alongside some well-known names, and the project uses street-level imagery to measure how much greenery people actually see when they're walking or driving around.

Treepedia uses what's called the Green View Index. Rather than counting every tree, it measures how much of a street-level view is covered by greenery. It's a useful way to understand what a neighborhood actually feels like from the sidewalk, although it doesn't exactly capture parks or trees hidden in backyards.

It's worth pointing out that Treepedia isn't a definitive ranking of the world's greenest cities. Having said that, Sacramento's inclusion in the project gives us another way to explore the city's leafy reputation. Let's be honest, most people who live in other parts of the US, and have never been to California, are far more likely to name 2-5 other cities in our state before listing Sacramento. So there's some pride in seeing our city mentioned among some big names.

City leaders have a plan to keep Sacramento green, too. The Sacramento Urban Forest Plan, adopted unanimously by the City Council on June 24, 2025, sets a goal of increasing the city's tree canopy cover to 35% by 2045.

The plan is about more than planting a few random trees and calling it a day. Overall, it's about doing a few things such as protecting existing trees, expanding the canopy, improving maintenance, and directing planting efforts toward neighborhoods that currently have less shade than other areas.

While there is great pride in the overall density of Sacramento's tree canopy coverage, the truth is it isn't evenly distributed. Some neighborhoods have mature trees lining their streets, while others have far less shade. Go to any surrounding Greater Sacramento city that is expanding and you can see how new residential developments feel barren. According to the city's urban forestry information, overall canopy coverage is around 19%, with substantial differences between neighborhoods.

When the city sought public feedback on its draft plan in 2024, CapRadio reported on the proposed changes and the push to expand the canopy. The final plan was adopted the following year.

You can take a look at the City of Sacramento's Urban Forest Plan to learn more about the city's goals, recommendations, and plans for the coming decades. Note, the plan covers a very specific area of Sacramento, so for folks outside this area, I hope this leads you to dig into your own city's plans to see if there is any attention going towards this.

Being the City of Trees isn't just about having a lot of trees. It's about making sure those trees continue to thrive and that more Sac residents, current and future, and visitors get to enjoy their benefits.

(Narrator: If you or someone you know has suddenly developed an intense interest in local avian populations, you are far from alone. The middle-age birding bug is real, and you should absolutely be an advocate for trees because they bring in so much of this beautiful wildlife.)

How to help keep Sacramento green (without making it your full-time job)

You don't need a giant backyard, a gardening degree, or an unreasonable emotional attachment to a watering can to help Sacramento live up to its nickname. A few small steps can make a difference.

  • Get a free shade tree. Eligible SMUD customers, including renters and businesses, can get a free tree-siting consultation and may qualify for up to 10 free trees through the Sacramento Shade program. Check the Sacramento Tree Foundation's free shade tree program for current eligibility. Your future self—and your electricity bill—may thank you.

  • Pick a tree that fits your space. That tiny sapling might look innocent now, but some trees have big plans for their future. Think about mature size, roots, water needs, and nearby power lines before planting. Your driveway, or house foundation, doesn't need a long-term rivalry with a tree root.

  • Give young trees a little TLC. Planting a tree is the easy part. Keeping it alive through Sacramento summers takes some effort, especially while it's getting established. Regular watering and basic care go a long way. A crispy tree isn't exactly helping the canopy goal.

  • Don't take mature trees for granted. Big, established trees provide valuable shade, and a replacement can take years—or decades—to offer the same benefits. If you already have one, proper maintenance can help keep it healthy and safe. Consider it a little neighborhood infrastructure with leaves.

  • Call a pro when needed. If a tree needs serious pruning, maintenance, or attention because it might be hazardous, check out our Local Services section. Get a few quotes and verify the professional's credentials and insurance. Climbing a ladder with a chainsaw is not the DIY flex it might seem like.

Sacramento didn't earn the City of Trees nickname overnight, and keeping it won't happen overnight, either. But you don't have to plant a forest in your backyard to help. Sometimes it starts with one tree, a little water, and resisting the urge to let that poor sapling fend for itself in 105-degree weather.

Because whatever else Sacramento decides to call itself, a little more shade is something most of us can agree on.

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