Tiburon sits out on a peninsula with the bay on three sides, and the wind never really leaves. Monterey pines, Monterey cypress and blue gum eucalyptus were planted all over the peninsula decades ago as windbreaks, and many have grown into giants that now lean, drop limbs or block the views people moved here for. Native coast live oaks hold on in the folds of the hills around Ring Mountain and the upper neighborhoods. Lots are steep and often terraced, with homes stacked above and below each other, so a tree that fails rarely lands on just one property. Views matter here too. Trimming to open up a view of the bay is a common request, and done right it can be done without hurting the tree or leaving it lopsided.
We take on a lot of tree trimming and pruning in Tiburon, especially thinning wind-exposed trees and trimming for clearance and light. We also handle careful removals of failing pines and eucalyptus over homes. There's no charge for an estimate, and you'll get a straight read on what your trees need.
Wind, Salt Air and Big Windbreak Trees
Trees on the peninsula take wind from more directions than almost anywhere else in Marin. That steady load shapes them: pines and cypress lean away from the prevailing wind, and their crowns grow heavy on one side. Many of the old windbreak trees are near the end of a normal lifespan. Monterey pines suffer from bark beetles and pitch canker, a fungus that kills branches from the tips back. Big eucalyptus shed bark and limbs. Thinning a heavy, wind-loaded crown lets air through and lowers the strain, and for trees past saving, a planned removal beats waiting for a storm to do it. Sausalito, across Richardson Bay, has the same windbreak trees on its hillsides.
Tiburon's Tree Permit Rules
Tiburon protects three kinds of trees. Heritage trees are any tree with a trunk over 60 inches in circumference, taken two feet off the ground. Native oaks are protected too, including coast live oak, California black oak, valley oak and several others. And the Town Council can dedicate individual trees. In single-family and two-family neighborhoods, removing or altering a protected tree needs a town permit. On undeveloped land, any tree needs one. Tiburon also requires a permit to plant fast growers like eucalyptus, pine, cypress and redwood in residential areas. Before any big tree removal, we'll check which category your tree falls into.
Common Questions
Yes. Native oaks, including coast live, California black, interior live, canyon live and valley oaks, are protected trees in Tiburon. In residential zones with one or two homes per lot, removing or altering one needs a permit from the town. Large trees of any species with trunks over 60 inches around are protected as heritage trees as well.
Not without a permit in residential zones. Tiburon lists blue gum eucalyptus, coast redwood, Monterey pine and cypress, and other trees that grow more than about three feet a year as undesirable for planting, since they can grow past 35 feet and block light and views. If you're replacing a removed tree, a slower-growing species is usually the easier path.