Editorial Standards
Best Trees to Plant is written by a Sacramento homeowner with over 20 years of hands-on tree experience. Every article combines personal experience with primary sources from arboriculture research and university extension programs. This page documents how that works.
Our perspective
This site is written from a homeowner's perspective, not an arborist's. The author is not a certified ISA arborist. What he is: someone who has planted, pruned, removed, and lost more trees than most homeowners ever will, and who has worked with certified arborists for major decisions on mature trees. The site exists to share that practical experience, grounded in published research from people who actually do this for a living.
Primary sources we cite
When an article references species characteristics, growth data, disease information, or management practices, the underlying facts come from one or more of the following:
Professional arboriculture organizations
- International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): the leading professional body for arborists, publishing peer-reviewed research
- Arboriculture & Urban Forestry Journal (AUF): ISA's peer-reviewed scientific journal
- Trees Are Good: ISA's public education program
- Sacramento Tree Foundation: local urban forestry expertise relevant to NorCal content
University extension programs
- UC Davis Arboretum Plant Database
- Oregon State Extension: Trees & Urban Forestry
- UF/IFAS Extension: Gardening Solutions
- Cornell Woody Plants Database
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Clemson HGIC: Trees
- Penn State Extension: Trees & Shrubs
- University of Minnesota Extension: Trees & Shrubs
Arboretums & foundations
Government & reference data
How articles are updated
Articles include a published date and, when revised, an updated date. Substantive revisions (new sources cited, corrected facts, expanded sections) bump the updated date. Cosmetic edits (typo fixes, link updates) do not. When a tree species article reflects new research on pests, diseases, or hardiness recommendations, the article is revised and the date reflects that.
Affiliate disclosure
Some product recommendations on this site link to Amazon via the Amazon Associates program. If you click a product link and make a purchase, this site earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links never determine which products are recommended. Products are chosen because they're what the author actually uses or what published research supports as effective. Sections without products are simply sections where a product wasn't relevant.
Corrections and feedback
If you spot an error, find an outdated recommendation, or have a source we should be citing, please get in touch. Corrections are made promptly and the article's updated date is bumped to reflect the change.
What we do not do
- We do not republish AI-generated content as our own.
- We do not accept paid placement for product recommendations.
- We do not write sponsored content disguised as editorial.
- We do not recommend trees, products, or practices the author has no personal or research-grounded basis for recommending.