Department of Parks and Recreation

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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION​

Ka ʻOihana Mālama Pāka a me nā Hana Hoʻonanea

Department of Parks and Recreation > Horticulture Services

Horticulture Services

Horticulture Services is comprised of two Sections; the Nursery and Landscape Section and the Arboriculture Section.

Nursery and Landscape Section

The Nursery and Landscape Section propagates and grows plants and trees used for City projects and DUF’s tree planting program. This section nurses approximately 3,800 plants and trees across five nurseries and tree farms; Kapiʻolani, Nuʻuanu, Waipahū, Waiawa, and Patsy T. Mink Central Oʻahu Regional Park.

 

Arboriculture Section

The Arboriculture Section trims, prunes, and maintains palms and shade trees along public roadways and in City parks locations. They perform specialized arboriculture work, inspect the tree’s health/condition, and implement appropriate mitigation measures for our City trees. 

Nursery & Landscape Section
We are responsible for the native plant demonstration at the Queen Kapi‘olani Garden, tree installations, and early tree care of newly planted street and park trees throughout O‘ahu!
Arboriculture Section
Our crews work on day-to-day maintenance with the safety of our residents as our number one priority. This section is additionally tasked with emergency responses to fallen trees or branches, particularly for pre and post-storm impacts that may affect our islands.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General

  • The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has jurisdiction over all trees growing in the City right-of-way, including along City streets and City parks. Within DPR, the Division of Urban Forestry (DUF) is responsible for the maintenance of nearly 250,000 street and park trees.
  • Initially, newly planted City trees are watered and maintained by DUF Nursery and Landscape Section. After the maintenance period, responsibility for the care and maintenance of street and park trees is transferred to DUF Arboriculture Section. Our crews then manage and maintain our mature trees to maintain their longevity and the benefits they bring to us.
  • Please see the Rules and Regulations Relative to Planting and Maintenance of Street Trees for more information on how City street trees are maintained. 
  • No, Na Ala Hele Trails are managed by the State of Hawaiʻi in the Department of Land and Natural Resources. You can find more information about the Na Ala Hele Hawaiʻi Trail and Access System here.
  • DPR/ DUF does not have hiking trails in our parks. Within DUF, Honolulu Botanical Gardens have walking paths for recreational activities. View the Honolulu Botanical Gardens page here.

Please refer to the Contacts for Tree Concerns.

  • No, unfortunately, we cannot provide trees to the public. All trees grown in our nurseries are dedicated to planting or replacing trees in the public right-of-way or other City properties to grow tree canopy in these spaces.
  • Yes, the City’s tree acquisition program takes donated trees from the public, government agencies, private developers, etc. However, at this time the City is only accepting Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) or Cook Island Pine (Araucaria columnaris) tree donations for the Honolulu City Lights.
  • The tree must be inspected and approved by DUF before acceptance by the City and is considered as a gift to the City. The tree and site are inspected for size, species, condition of the tree, accessibility, overhead lines, etc. Once accepted, the tree becomes the property of the City and will be removed by the Horticulture Services Branch if deemed necessary.

Planting

Maintenance

  • If the tree is on your private property, then you can prune the tree.
  • If the tree is a City tree, you may not prune the tree. City trees are pruned on a regular schedule and routinely checked for public safety and tree health. We strive to prune our trees every 24 months and trim coconut and royal palms every 6 months. The maintenance schedule is contingent on the need based on the condition and availability of resources, including manpower and funds.
  • If you believe that a tree in the City right-of-way needs pruning, you can request DUF to prune (please see the section about contacting us below) and we will inspect if further action is necessary.
  • We follow all ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards that are industry-developed and recognized as the national consensus of safety standards. For tree care and arboriculture operations, this includes ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133 standards.
  • DUF’s in-house crews and contracted private tree care companies prune and trim to accepted and high-level industry standards following both ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133 to provide the best care for our trees.
  • Please see the Rules and Regulations Relative to Planting and Maintenance of Street Trees for more information on how City street trees are maintained. 
  • We appreciate your concern and care for the public trees in our communities. DUF prioritizes work orders and addresses all safety concerns with high priority. We manage the entire island of Oʻahu, including than 300 City parks and 3,650 lane miles of City roads.
  • Please allow us the time required to research each request. There may be a delay in contacting you, but we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience, mahalo!
  • International Society of Arborists (ISA) credentials demonstrate that individuals have the appropriate knowledge and skills in arboriculture. Certified arborists have passed credential testing confirming knowledge of proper and acceptable tree care practices.
  • Find a certified arborist with the ISA Arborist Search tool.
  • Topping, as defined by ISA, is “the indiscriminate cutting of tree branches to stubs or to lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role. Topping is often used to reduce the size of a tree, but it is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known.”
  • Topping can lead to high levels of risk, tree stress, and decay. It is often done to reduce the size of the tree canopy but is not a viable method of height reduction.
  • Every property owner whose land abuts or adjoins a public street shall continually maintain, and keep clean, passable and free from weeds and noxious growths. 
  • Please see the Revised Ordinance of Honolulu Chapter 14, Article 5 for more information regarding sidewalk cleaning and maintenance. 

Removals

  • No, it is illegal to remove a City tree. It is the City’s goal to preserve as many trees as possible; however, trees that are dead, dying, diseased, or damaged may be removed for public safety.
  • If there is a tree in the City right-of-way that you think is a concern, please see the section about contacting us below. We will send our certified arborists to inspect the tree and assess if corrective actions need to be taken or if the tree is healthy to remain in place and continue to provide shade, clean air, and stormwater filtration in our shared spaces.
  • Vandalizing, damaging, or removing a City tree is a crime. The act is considered criminal property damage, which may result in a prison sentence.
  • No, removing a City tree is illegal. Please consider the benefits of trees instead, these are the many reasons we do not permit to remove healthy trees. Your tree is part of the entire street and urban forestry system across the island.
  • It is natural for trees to drop seeds, flowers, and release pollen as they are living things. It is kind of like how we have to brush our hair and clip our nails. Trees are similar in that they have to go through their natural cycles.
  • Tree roots extend beyond its canopy and stretch out for stability and in search of nutrients. If there is a tree in the City right-of-way that you think is a concern, please see the section about contacting DUF below. We will inspect the tree to assess possible tree care options.
  • If there are roots that extend onto your private property, we recommend contacting a private arborist to discuss options. The ISA Arborist Search tool will allow you to find local certified arborists. If you decide to root prune, please contact DUF and we can assess how this will impact the tree’s overall health.
  • Tree roots will grow towards existing breaks or cracks because they follow water availability. They do not crack sewer lines that are not already damaged. The best way to fix this is to have your sewer line repaired.
  • Tree roots will grow towards existing breaks or cracks because they follow water availability. They do not crack sewer lines that are not already damaged. The best way to fix this is to have your sewer line repaired. If you have evidence that a City-owned tree caused damage to the sewer lines, fill and complete this claim form (PDF) to file a claim with the City. Please keep in mind that removing a City tree without a permit is illegal.
  • Our first responsibility is to keep the public safe. There are specific reasons why a tree might be cut down, such as if the tree is dead, dying, diseased, damaged, or poses an immediate danger to the public.
  • DUF actively conducts preemptive work to protect the public from future hazards by completing routine inspections and maintenance for all City trees. When we conduct inspections, we want to preserve the tree in place to continue receiving the benefits that the existing tree has to offer. If structural or corrective pruning can be performed, removal will not be necessary. If the tree cannot be saved by pruning, then we will safely remove and, if possible, replace that City tree.
  • If there is a tree in the City right-of-way that you think is a concern, please see the section about contacting us below.

Contact us

For questions or concerns regarding trees refer to the following links or send us a request. The Department of Planning and Permitting maintains the Standards and Procedures for the Planting of Street Trees (PDF). You may also send a FAX to (808) 971-7160. 

For emergency requests such as a fallen tree or branch that is blocking the roadway or sidewalk, or has caused damage or injury, please dial 911. Unsure of who to call in other cases? Refer to the Contacts for Tree Concerns (PDF). For other questions or concerns, we have two options where you may contact us:

Please provide us the following information in your voicemail and be sure to spell out your name and street name:

  1. Name
  2. Street Address
  3. Nearest cross street
  4. General area such as downtown, ʻAiea, or Waikīkī
  5. Daytime contact phone number
  6. Nature of concern: (examples)
    • Fallen branch
    • Request for pruning
    • Request for planting
    • etc.

A job order will be created as soon as we receive your message and a member of our staff will contact you with the job order number, or an answer to your question. Please be aware that because of the volume of requests received and the amount of time required to research each request, there may be a delay in contacting you. But we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. To leave a message for the staff, please specify the personʻs first and last name and your contact information.

  1. Go to: https://honoluluhi.citysourced.com
  2. Click on Requests and select Create a Request
  3. Login to your account or select Create anonymously
  4. Click on Select a Report Type:
    • Select Sewer & Environmental
    • Select Street Tree
  5. Identify the location on the map
  6. Write a detailed message on your request and include the street address, nearest cross street, general area, phone number, and the nature of your concern
  7. We recommend that you include photos, videos, or audio
  8. Finally, click submit
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