Tree Care and Maintenance

Seasonal Tree Care Tips: Spring 
Trees for Bees…and Other Pollinators, Too

In 2025, the City of Lake Oswego is celebrating 36 years of Tree USA recognition from the National Arbor Day Foundation for demonstrating a strong commitment to managing and caring for trees, but did you know that Lake Oswego is also a Bee City USA?

Bee City USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, provides a framework for communities to support native pollinator conservation. The Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Advisory Board facilitates the program commitments which are outlined in a resolution adopted by the City Council on August 1, 2023. Some of these commitments include sustaining pollinator-friendly habitats, a comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) program, and hosting community engagement events focused on pollinator conservation. Lake Oswego proudly received designation as a Bee City USA community on September 21, 2023.

The Lake Oswego urban forest provides valuable habitat for a wide variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds, bats, small mammals, numerous insects, and other pollinators. Pollinators are keystone species that transfer pollen between flowers of the same species, enabling over 85% of all flowering plants and 67% of agricultural crops to flower and fruit. Bees are the most important pollinators and there are up to 800 species of bees here in Oregon. However, some Oregon bee species are declining in population size and range due to habitat destruction, climate change, pesticides, and disease. Efforts to restore and enhance pollinator habitat have shown a measurable increase in native bee populations.

Different species of bees visit different species of plants and while most pollinator gardens tend to focus on ground cover plants and wildflowers, trees are the bee’s oasis in the sky. Not only do bees use trees (and shrubs) to forage for nectar and pollen, they also provide nesting sites in hollows and stems and may use small portions of leaves to line their nests. A few native tree species that provide valuable pollinator habitat include:

  • bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
  • pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
  • western redbud (Cercis occidentalis)
  • pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
  • black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii)
  • Oregon crab apple (Malus fusca)
  • Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana)
  • cascara (Rhamnus purshiana)
  • Scouler’s willow (Salix scouerliana)

A wide variety of native shrubs provide an added layer of diversity for pollinators, such as vine maple, serviceberry, evergreen huckleberry, black and red elderberries, salal and Oregon grape. Fruit trees, such as apples, cherries, peaches and plums, also provide excellent pollinator habitat, with the added benefit of providing edible fruits to harvest and enjoy.

Learn more about trees and shrubs that are beneficial for bees and other pollinators by visiting these sites:

 Please check back for more seasonal tree care and maintenance advice!

Link to Tree Care and Maintenance Archives
 

Archives

Fall 2024: For a Healthier Yard, Leave the Leaves

Summer 2024: Tree Risk Assessment

Spring 2024: Invasive Ivy Removal

Winter 2024: Clean and Sharp Pruners

Fall 2023: Mediterranean Oak Borer

Summer 2023: Supplemental Watering and Mulch to Prevent Drought Stress in Trees

Spring 2023: Aphids

Winter 2023: Pruning: Standards and Best Practices

Summer/Fall 2023: Emerald Ash Borer

Winter/Spring 2022: Nesting Season

Fall 2021: Healthy Trees are Defended Trees

Special Edition: After the Storm

Winter 2021: What is an Arborist?

Fall 2020: Soil Management  

Summer 2020: Retaining and Creating Snags for Wildlife

Spring 2020: Mulch: Numerous Benefits and Easy Application

Winter 2020: Tree Planting: To Stake or Not to Stake?

Fall 2019: Insects and Diseases

​Summer 2019: Drought Stress Revisited

Spring 2019: Trees and Construction

Winter 2019: Topped Tree

Fall 2018: Autumn Leaves

Summer 2018: Emerald Ash Borer

Spring 2018: Pruning Young Trees

Winter 2017: Tree Related Storm Damage

Fall 2017: New Tree Selection and Planting

Summer 2017: Trees and Turfgrasses

Spring 2017: English Ivy Removal

Winter 2017: Recognizing Tree Risk

Summer 2016: Drought Stress

Fall 2016: Preparing Trees for Winter

 

Additional Tree Care Resources:
 

National Arbor Day Foundation The Morton Arboretum
Oregon Department of Forestry Tree Care Info
ISA Find an Arborist Alliance for Community Trees
Oregon Department of Forestry  

 

Right Tree in the Right Place

Use this handy guide for assistance in choosing the right species of tree based on the constraints of a site, such as overhead wires, narrow plant strips, and proximity to structures.

"Right Tree Right Place" - helpful information such as "Use this guide for assistance in choosing the right species of tree based on the constraints of a site, such as overhead wires, narrow plant strips, and proximity to structures."

"Master Plant List" - a guide to the plants that are acceptable for mitigation requirements in Lake Oswego.