Trees Donation
Help Preserve Our of Hancock Park’s Trees!
Please click the link below to make a 100% tax-deductible donation to the Hancock Park Parkway Tree Group, a dedicated 501(c)(3) established by the Hancock Park Homeowners Association. Every dollar donated goes directly toward caring for our mature canopy and replanting lost parkway trees across the neighborhood.
Click HERE: to Make a 100% Tax Deductible Donation and Preserve of our Hancock Park Tree Canopy
Caring for Our Historic Forest Today and Tomorrow
A century ago, Hancock Park was planted with an ambitious young forest of stately elms, sycamores, and cedars. Today, those mature trees define our neighborhood: they cool our streets, clean our air, and truly make Hancock Park live up to its name.
However, after decades of drought, climate change, pest pressures, and natural aging, many of our original trees have reached the end of their natural life cycle. To secure the future of our urban forest, the Hancock Park Homeowners Association is spearheading a comprehensive reforestation initiative—a thoughtful, phased plan to slowly and systematically replenish our canopy.
Through this effort, donations help fund:
· Safe removal of dead, diseased, dying, or unsafe trees from our parkways to eliminate hazards and prepare sites for the next generation of trees.
· Deadwood trimming and proactive care to extend the vitality, health, and safety of our existing mature canopy.
· Gradual canopy replacement and planting, ensuring that every permitted parkway spot is replanted with a thriving young tree.
· Species diversification across neighborhood corridors, guarding against pests and disease while honoring our Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) guidelines to maintain a uniform, block-by-block streetscape.
Request a Tree or Learn More
Under our HPOZ protections, lost or dying trees are replaced with City and HPOZ- approved species. Below, you will find details on which tree species are designated for your block, how to request a free replacement tree, and essential watering and care guidelines for young plantings.
To request a parkway tree or report a hazardous tree, please contact:
o Deborah Trainer: DebTrainer@sbcglobal.net
o Cindy Chvatal-Keane: snorekel@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kinds of trees have been selected?
Several different varieties of trees have been selected including, Camphor, Magnolia, Chinese Elm, Jacaranda, Frontier Elm, Crepe Myrtle, Brisbane Box, Pioneer Elm and DeodarCedar. You can see which of these trees have been assigned to your block by referring to the tree map and tree profiles below.
2. Was the Hancock Park Master Tree Plan approved by the City ?
Yes. Parkways in residential areas are considered part of the Public Right of Way but are cared for by the property owner. The Hancock Park HPOZ requires approval for plantings and removalsfor our parkway trees, homeowners provide water for the trees and the HPHA'48 helps maintain and care for the newly planted trees. In 2018, the future trees to be planted on our parkways were approved by Urban Forestry, Hancock Park HPOZ Board and City Planner.
3. Can I choose a different tree for the parkway of my home? Can I plant my own trees? Can I remove my parkway tree?
Only the tree species selected for your block can be planted on your parkway. You can plant your own tree if you use a licensed arborist, crew and plant according to the City’s specifications. Homeowners are not allowed to remove existing trees without City/ HPOZ approval which requires a certified arborist’s recommendation, a report on the health of the tree, and a current photograph of the tree. No living, healthy tree should ever be removed.
4. Does this mean that our streets will have a variety of trees in the near future?
Yes. Since our plantings will be done only to replace missing trees, it may take many years to establish a consistent look for streets where a new variety has been selected.
5. What size trees will be planted?
The HPHA’48 will purchase and plant, healthy beautiful, and at least 24-gallon size trees.
6. What are the responsibilities of the homeowner?
- Water the tree and plantings in your parkway on a regular basis. The first year after planting deep water the tree twice a week. After the first year deep water once a week, and in the hot summer months deep water twice a week.
- Inform the HPHA of death/damage/disease to any existing or newly planted trees.
- Inform the HPHA of any missing parkway trees.
- You can contact the Association’s Tree Committee by emailing Deborah Trainer at Debtrainer@sbcglobal.net,orCindy Chvatal-Keane at snorekel@gmail.com
8. Where is the funding to upgrade and plant the trees coming from?
The funding is coming from the Hancock Park Homeowners Association, which means from your dues and your tax-deductible donations to the Trees fund (see link above). Anyone not yet a dues paying member of the HP Homeowner Association should join us! Just click on the Membership/Dues link abve. Donations are always welcome and can be specified to support our reforestation efforts.
Hancock Park HPOZ Approved Parkway Tree Map
Quadrant 1 - Melrose–Rosewood / Wilcox–Lillian Way
- Lillian Way: Deodar Cedar
- Cahuenga: Frontier Elm
- Wilcox: Chinese Elm
- Clinton: Frontier Elm
- Rosewood: Camphor
- Melrose: Crepe Myrtle
- Rossmore: Frontier Elm
Quadrant 2 - Melrose–Beverly / Highland–Seward–June
- Seward: Crepe Myrtle
- June: Camphor
- Cherokee: Camphor
- Las Palmas: Pioneer Elm
- McCadden: Pioneer Elm
- Melrose: Crepe Myrtle
- Beverly: Magnolia
- Clinton: Camphor
- Rosewood: Camphor
- Oakwood: Camphor
- Highland: Brisbane Box
Quadrant 3 - Beverly–3rd Street / Highland–Rossmore
- Muirfield: Chinese Elm
- Rimpau: Frontier Elm
- Hudson Place: Chinese Elm
- Hudson Avenue: Frontier Elm
- June Street: Exclamation Plane
- Las Palmas:Exclamation Plane
- McCadden:Frontier Elm
- Beverly: Magnolia
- 1st: Chinese Elm
- 2nd: Chinese Elm
- 3rd: Jacaranda
- Highland: Brisbane Box
- Rossmore: Pioneer Elm
Quadrant 4 - 3rd Street–Wilshire / Highland–Rossmore
- 3rd: Jacaranda
- 4th: Jacaranda
- 6th: Camphor
- Muirfield: Frontier Elm
- Rimpau: Chinese Elm
- Hudson Avenue: Frontier Elm
- June: Frontier Elm
- Las Palmas: Camphor
- McCadden: Exclimation Plane
- Highland: Brisbane Box
- Rossmore: Frontier Elm
Profiles of the Parkway Street Trees approved for Hancock Park
Jacaranda - The Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) is a semi-deciduous, fast growing and spectacularly beautiful tree. In the spring it drops its foliage and fragrant, purple flowers cluster and bloom for a month. Jacarandas get 35 feet tall and 25 feet wide and require little pruning, they are not demanding in terms of soil conditions and have proven themselves to perform well in urban conditions and extensive heat. They are fairly drought tolerant once established, yet have a lush appearance due to the elegant fern-like foliage.
The Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is native to eastern Asia, including China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. It is a splendid tree with a graceful shape. It is deciduous with a slender trunk and crown. The leaves are small and often stay on the tree until December. Wind-pollinated flowers are produced in early autumn and are small and inconspicuous. The trunk has a handsome, flaking bark of mottled greys.
The Frontier Elm (Ulmus ‘Frontier’) is a deciduous and fast growing street tree which has been developed to be resistant to the elm diseases and to thrive in parkways. The Frontier elm reaches its mature size at 3o ft tall and 25 ft wide, It has shown excellent adaptability to urban conditions and is drought tolerant once established. Add disease and pest resistance and dramatic burgundy fall color and it becomes a near perfect street tree.
The Pioneer Elm (Ulmus ‘Pioneer’)is an American elm created by crossing two European elm species, the Sych Elm (U. Glabra) and Field Elm (U. Minor). It is a fast growing tree distinguished by a dense, globular crown, which as it matures becomes more broad than tall, creating heavy shade. The leaves are deep green, turning yellow and red in the fall. Wind-pollinated flowers appear in early March.
The Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia and parts of Oceania. It is cultivated in warmer climates and are known for their colorful nd long-lasting flowers with bloom in the summer. They have sinewy, fluted stems and branches and the leaves provide autumn color.
The Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)is a large and stately evergreen tree. It is fast growing, drought tolerant once established, and tolerates urban conditions such as heat and smog well. It has been successfully used as a street tree in southern California for decades and has weathered increasing heat and new diseases and pests fairly well. It is a very attractive tree with strong structural trunks and limbs, picturesque bark and light green foliage. A boulevard lined in mature camphor trees is one of the most beautiful sights to see. The large canopy provides excellent cooling and shading year round.
The Brisbane Box (Lophostemon confertus) is a handsome evergreen tree from Australia. It has proven itself to be tolerant of smog, heat, drought and poor soil conditions and to perform very well as a street tree. In its native Australia it has been widely and successfully used as a street tree for decades . It is fast growing and has high disease and pest resilience. The dense canpoy provides year-round shade and cooling and the mature size is approximately 30-40 feet tall and 25 ft wide. A tried-and-true street tree for our changing climate.
Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) is a species of cedar native to the western Himalayas and Eastern Afganistan. It is a large, evergreen, coniferous tree which can reach over 100 feet in height. It has a conic crown with level branches and drooping branchlets. The leaves are needle-like and the cones are barrel-shaped.
