Tree Service in Pasadena, CA
Live oaks still lead the city's 60,000-plus trees, planted since a 1907 proposal. Private lots are where our tree service in Pasadena works on oaks and palms, and we flag any tree that is legally the city's.
Tree care in Pasadena
Old trees, strong winds: what Pasadena trees face
Pasadena's street trees are old, big and mostly oaks. Planting began over 100 years ago, and in 1940 more than a third of the city's streets were set with live oaks. Some streets are known for one tree — camphors on Prospect Boulevard, palms and magnolias on Orange Grove. The city sits right below the mountains, and hot, dry winds come down those slopes. In the 2011 windstorm, 450 street trees were down or damaged on the first day, and the city had about $20 million in damage. Big old trees near homes are worth checking before the windy season.
A tree that stood for 100 years can still fail in one night of wind. Check it before the season, not after.
Services
Pasadena's big old oaks and tall palms: removal, trimming, storm work
Supreme Tree Experts removes oaks, trims fan palms and lowers tall crowns in Pasadena, where many trees pass 80 years. Any hour a windstorm drops a limb on the roof, Pasadena owners can phone Supreme Tree Experts.
Tree Removal
We take down big trees near older Craftsman homes in small pieces, lowered on ropes. In Pasadena, removing a protected native or specimen tree from a front, side or rear yard needs a permit. We check the tree against that rule first.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Our crews prune live oaks on private lots to the standard for each tree, never topping. Pruning your own native tree needs no permit here. Landmark trees are the exception, since even pruning one takes a permit.
Stump Grinding & Stump Removal
After a yard removal, we grind the stump below the soil, ready for turf or a new tree. A parkway tree is different, because removing one needs approval from the City Manager's office. Neighbors get notice first, and we work only on your side.
Palm Tree Trimming & Skinning
We trim dead fronds and seed stalks from tall Mexican fan palms, which line some of the city's older streets. Many yards grow them too. Our palm lift truck lets the crew skin old frond bases up high, with no climbing spikes.
Emergency Tree Service
Call us 24/7 when a tree is cracking or leaning over your home. If the City Manager, police or fire calls a protected tree a hazard, no permit is needed to remove it. Keep people clear until it is safe.
Tree Maintenance
We give older yard trees a yearly check for decay and weak limbs before the windy season. Pasadena has more than 60,000 street trees, and planting began over 100 years ago. Many private trees here are just as old.
Tree Height Reduction
We lower tall crowns near homes with cuts back to side limbs, taking weight off before the winds. In the 2011 windstorm, 450 street trees were down or damaged on the first day alone. We never top a tree to get there.
Estate Tree Care
For large homes and old gardens, we keep a steady plan for mature oaks, magnolias and camphors. Live oaks still lead the city's trees, and many estates hold several. Each tree gets its own pruning cycle and a yearly look.
Tree Shaping & Shrub Shearing
We shear formal hedges and shaped shrubs around older homes on a cycle, so the shape holds all year. We follow the line the garden was built with. Clippings are raked out of beds and hauled off.
Landscaping
Our planting and watering plans keep oaks healthy without soaking their roots. The city also asks owners to water the parkway tree in front of their home. A slow drip can reach it without drowning nearby oak roots.
Hardscape
We lay paths and walls near old oak roots so no major root is cut. Harming a protected oak in Pasadena can be a misdemeanor. Near the trunk, we hand-dig and route the work around large roots.
Reviews to read before you book in Pasadena
Every word below was written by a customer on Google, not by us. Long reviews are shortened to fit the card — never reworded. None of them was left in Pasadena: they come from customers across Southern California. Read them for how a crew behaves on a job, then decide whether that is who you want in Pasadena.
“Great pricing & service. Highly competent with tricky jobs. We have used them for more than 10 years.”
Melanie Butler
Local Guide
“We got bids from five contractors. After I talked to them all and checked out their licenses and work, we decided to go with Supreme. … The job took a day and a half, and when they were done, they left the place immaculate.”
Hank Shaeffer
“Great tree trimmers! I’ve used Supreme Tree Experts twice to trim the palm trees in my yard. … The guys who come out are quick thorough, and clean. And very careful not to damage property.”
Emilie Pacheco
“These guys have worked on my property 3 times now. They are always on time and do a fantastic job. I highly recommend them!”
Ray Thompson
“After soliciting several quotes on some difficult yard work, we chose Supreme because of their licensed Arborist Temis … The crew was extremely hard working and we couldn’t believe their continuous work ethic on one of the hottest days of the year.”
Gary Brown
Local Guide
The questions worth asking any Pasadena tree company
6 of them, answered here for Pasadena. If yours is not here, call 877-787-7363 and ask.
No, not on your own. Street and parkway trees belong to the city. Removing one needs approval from the City Manager's office, and neighbors get notice first. You can call the City Service Center at 626-744-7311 to ask. You do have a job, though: the city asks you to water the parkway tree in front of your home.
Usually not. Pruning a native or specimen tree on your own land does not need a permit in Pasadena. Removing one, or hurting it, is different. If the tree is a protected native or specimen tree standing in your front, side or rear yard, removal needs a permit. Landmark trees need a permit even to prune.
If the City Manager, a police officer or a firefighter decides a protected tree is a hazard, no permit is needed to remove it. Do not wait on a tree that is cracking or leaning over your home. Call for help, keep people away, and let the officials make the call.
Yes — $600 for tree services, wherever the job is. Big oaks near old homes often come down in small pieces on ropes, and that time is what shapes the price.
An arborist comes out and looks at the tree first. The visit is free. Big oaks near old Craftsman homes often have to come down in small pieces on ropes, and that takes more time than dropping a tree in an open yard. Size matters, but access and what is under the tree matter more.
Yes, 24/7. Windstorms here come down off the mountains, often at night. Call 877-787-7363.
Three steps in Pasadena, and no surprises in between
- 01.
Free visit
An arborist comes to your home, looks at the tree and tells you if it is a native, specimen or street tree. That decides if the city must be involved.
- No charge for the visit
- Tree type checked first
- 02.
Plan and date
We set a date and plan how the tree comes down or gets pruned around your house, your drive and your garden.
- Roof and garden protected
- Work planned piece by piece
- 03.
Work and clean-up
Limbs go through our chipper at the curb, not onto the parkway the city asks you to water. Everything is hauled off.
- Branches chipped and hauled
- Stump ground if you want
Why Pasadena owners with 80-year-old oaks call our family crew
Tree work goes wrong when it is rushed or under-equipped. We run our own 75-foot boom trucks, lift trucks, chippers and stump grinders, and every crew works under an ISA Certified Arborist — so the job gets done right the first time.
We hold California license #1002853 for both landscaping and tree and palm work, we are bonded, we carry general liability and every employee is on workers’ compensation.
ISA Certified Arborist
An arborist looks at every tree before any price is given, and explains what the tree needs in plain words.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Harming a protected Pasadena oak can be a misdemeanor. Our crew works under state license #1002853 (C-27, C-61/D-49) and is bonded and insured.
Southern California Since 1985
Storm clean-up has been part of our work since 1985. In 2011 this city took the worst of the windstorm damage in the valley.
Our Own Equipment
We own 75-foot boom trucks built for crowns as tall as the camphor tunnels on Prospect Blvd.
Getting to Pasadena
Pasadena spans 23 square miles, from the Craftsman streets of Bungalow Heaven to the Arroyo Seco, where the Rose Bowl sits.
- ZIP codes
- 911059110691107