Get Made in the Shade!

Burbank businesses can receive up to 20 FREE shade trees from BWP!

Q. What's Made in the Shade?
Made in the Shade is an energy-saving program. Through this program, BWP provides qualifying Burbank residents and business free shade trees. Residents can receive up to three shade trees and our business customers can receive up to 20! All for free! We'll also provide stakes, ties, and arbor guards, which are devices that protect tree trunks from weed trimmers and lawn mowers. Again, all for free!

Q. Why is BWP offering this program?
Trees are nature's air conditioners. Studies show that shade trees can significantly reduce a structure's air conditioning use. In addition to providing energy savings, trees also provide other benefits. Trees improve air quality by producing oxygen. Trees also trap and contain water during the rainy season, helping prevent storm drain overflow problems. Trees beautify our surroundings and can even increase property values. By providing trees, BWP is supporting a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful Burbank environment while helping residents and businesses save energy.

Q. How does Made in the Shade for Businesses work?
It's easy to participate in this program. If you are a Burbank business owner interested in getting free shade trees, simply call our program arborist at 818-957-8196 to schedule an on-site consultation at your business. If you rent a Burbank business property, you can still participate. You will just need to obtain the property owner's written approval. The certified arborist will meet with you at your business and help you select the best energy-saving planting sites on your private property and the best trees for those sites. Once you have selected the sites and trees, you will be asked to sign our Customer Pledge. If you are renting the business property, the Customer Pledge includes an area at the bottom of the form for the property owner's written permission. The Customer Pledge details your responsibilities in participating in the Made in the Shade program. Within three weeks of meeting with the arborist, your trees will be delivered to your business for you to plant.

Q. What do you mean by 'qualifying' Burbank businesses?
Made in the Shade is an energy-saving program, not a landscaping program! While we love trees and encourage you to plant as many as appropriate for your property, our goal is reducing energy use. This program is designed to help Burbank businesses plant trees in areas that will shade their air conditioned buildings. Doing so helps reduce air conditioning requirements by blocking some of the sunlight that can enter a building and heat it up. If you don't have areas on your private property that will achieve this goal, you won't qualify for the Made in the Shade program. Additionally, if your business is a new construction project, it will not be eligible to participate in the Made in the Shade for Businesses program.

Q. Can I only get trees for my private property? What if I want parkway trees?
Made in the Shade is limited to your private property. However, the City of Burbank also offers a parkway/city street tree program that Burbank businesses can take advantage of. The program is called Tree Stewardship. Through the Tree Stewardship Program, businesses can receive 15-gallon commercial street trees. Typically, a $55 fee is required for each tree provided to businesses under this program. That's pretty inexpensive, considering that the price includes not just the tree, but planting of the tree by the City's Forrestry group, as well as any concrete work that might be necessary. The $55 cost also includes the encroachment permit. HOWEVER, Burbank Water and Power is taking an extra step to make the Tree Stewardship Program an even better deal for Burbank businesses. BWP WILL PAY THE FULL $55 COST FOR AS MANY TREES AS YOU CAN USE UNDER THE TREE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM! So, yes, you can get free parkway trees in addition to free trees for your private property.

To take advantage of the Tree Stewardship Program, contact the City's Forestry Group at (818) 238-5304.

Q. If I participate in Made in the Shade, what are my responsibilities?
Once you've met with the arborist and signed the Customer Pledge for Businesses, you must do the following:

1. Call Underground Service Alert at least two working days before digging holes for your trees. Underground Service Alert is a free, one-call process. When you call this service, they will call all the underground utilities (natural gas, electric, telephone, cable, etc.) on your behalf. Within 48 working hours, the utilities will come to your property to mark all underground utility lines. This will let you know if the selected tree planting sites are safe areas to dig in. This is an extremely important call for you to make! The number for Underground Service Alert is 1-800-227-2600.

2. Watch the video that the arborist will give you showing how to properly plant a tree. Your trees will have the best potential to thrive if they are planted correctly. BWP wanted to make sure that Made in the Shade program participants know how to properly plant a tree, so we filmed a tree being planted by Jeff Zoumbaris. Jeff heads up the City of Burbank's Forestry group. The video runs 33 minutes and is yours for free.

3. Make every effort to be present during tree delivery. The arborist will let you know the likely delivery date of your trees. Please try to be present to sign for your trees. Deliveries will take place rain or shine!

4. Plant your trees as soon as possible! Within three weeks of your meeting with the arborist you should receive your trees, stakes, ties and arbor guards. These will be delivered direct to your business free of charge. Plant your trees as soon as possible in the precise locations you agreed to with the arborist. The arborist will mark the locations so that you'll know exactly where to plant your trees.

5. Care for your trees. Once you receive the trees, they are yours to enjoy for many years to come. Caring for them will ensure that they thrive and provide your business with shade and beauty. Young trees require frequent watering to help their root system grow and become stable. In later years, pruning may be required.

Click here to download the Made in the Shade Customer Pledge for Businesses

Q. Where can I plant my Made in the Shade trees?
The trees you receive from BWP must be planted on your private property on any exposure except a northern exposure. The arborist will help you select areas that will benefit from shade. He will also guide you in properly placing trees far enough away from the foundation of your building and any hardscape you may have so as not to cause any negative effects from the tree. As planting sites are selected, the arborist will mark the area for you. You will also receive a written confirmation from the arborist that shows where each tree selected needs to be planted. The only instance in which it will be permissible to not plant the trees where you agreed to is if there are underground utility lines located at the selected planting site. If this is the case, please contact the arborist for advice. BWP will be conducting spot checks of the planting. Participants will be charged the full program cost of $90 per tree for any tree planted in an incorrect location.

Q. Tell me about the trees!
There are over two dozen trees offered through the Made in the Shade program. These trees were selected because they are good shade trees that grow well in Burbank. All come in 15-gallon containers, which mean that they are fairly mature (anywhere from two to five years old) and weigh about 60 pounds. Take this into consideration when planting the trees - you may need to have a couple of strong people doing this job! To give our customers as much choice as possible, BWP has selected evergreen trees as well as deciduous trees. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the wintertime allowing for the winter sun to heat your building naturally. We offer smaller trees that grow to less than 25 feet, medium trees that grow to about 40 feet, and large trees that are over 40 feet at maturity. With all these choices it shouldn't be a problem finding a tree that you will love! Or, even as many as 20 trees!

To participate in Made in the Shade, please call (818) 957-8196.

Made in the Shade Tree Choices

Note: All tree species are subject to market availability.

Trees Not Currently Available in the Made in the Shade Program: