From providing shade to beautifying our neighborhoods, there’s plenty to celebrate about trees this Oaktober! For Oaktoberfest this year, we’re paying homage to oaks – and all trees – by highlighting some of the species found at local breweries. Take a tree tour with us to learn some fun trivia for your next happy hour. 

(Want more help identifying the trees around you? Click here for additional resources.)

Out of Bounds Brewing

13407 Folsom Blvd, Folsom, CA 95630 

First on our list is the miniature urban forest surrounding Out of Bounds Brewing in Folsom. Not only is Out of Bounds Brewing home to good beer and good food, they are home to a variety of native and non-native trees. 

Interior live oak

The first tree to spot on your trip to Out of Bounds is the interior live oak in the parking lot. The interior live oak is native to the Sierra foothills and central valley. Its evergreen leaves are thick and leathery, and they are slightly prickly when young to protect against hungry critters who would eat their entire canopies. The interior live oak produces egg-shaped pointed acorns that are half-enclosed in their caps. Every fall, volunteers with SacTree harvest thousands of acorns from this species and our other native oaks. These acorns are grown into seedlings by area students, then eventually planted at reforestation sites across the region. 

Crape myrtle

Also in the parking lot, you can spot two common ornamental trees: the crape myrtle and Chinese pistache. A popular ornamental tree, crape myrtles can be identified by their smooth, peeling bark and summer flowers that bloom in a variety of colors including white, pink, purple, and red. Fall color ranges from muted gold to russet tones. The crape myrtles at this location were unfortunately topped and their form is forever altered, but in properly pruned trees, the beautiful twisting branches and seedpods provide an interesting silhouette in the winter skyline. Once established, the crape myrtle is quite drought tolerant, although it can be susceptible to aphids that leave behind a sticky mess. Its size can vary from 2-foot-tall shrubs to 20-foot-tall trees.  

Chinese pistache

A Sacramento favorite, the Chinese pistache is a highly sought-after tree prized for its graceful leaves, vase-like canopy, and dazzling fall color. Its narrow leaflets turn a vibrant red,-orange color, often recognizable as one of the most brilliant fall displays that seems to glow. Once established, these trees are highly adaptable and need minimal water. Older trees produce striking red berries beloved by birds, but newer cultivars that we provide are low-mess and do not produce fruit. Their famously non-aggressive root system also makes them great to plant in narrow areas that could benefit from a wide spreading canopy. Want to see one in your own yard? Check out what’s available through our free shade tree program. 

Native woodland

Just outside Out of Bounds are the Parkshore Trailhead of the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail and Folsom Parkway Rail Trail. These trails wind through oak woodland and riparian habitats and are perfect for those looking to check out some of our native trees such as gray pines, California buckeyes, cottonwoods, and native oaks. From providing critical habitat for native wildlife to shady recreational spaces to enjoy nature, native trees play a vital role in Sacramento’s urban forest. This is why oak woodland reforestation efforts are so important. 

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King Cong Brewery

1709 Del Paso Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815 

Red maple

If you plan on stopping by King Cong Brewery for beer, pizza, or trivia night, be sure to check out the red maples in the median out front. A fast-growing shade tree, red maples have lush leaves that are light-green with a silvery underside and have 3 to 5 pointed lobes with serrated edges. In the fall, most red maples turn their famous bright red color, although some show off yellow or orange hues that are just as eye-catching. In the spring, children love chasing after whirlybirds, the maple’s helicopter-like seedpods called samaras that spin as they fall to the ground. Red maples are high water users that should only be planted in moist soils. 

London plane

One of the most recognizable trees on our list is the London plane. A sycamore hybrid, the London plane is the most common tree in Sacramento, easily identified by the patchy scaling grayish-green plates that reveal a cream-colored bark underneath. Their maple-like leaves are large, fuzzy, and thick with 5 palmate lobes. While London planes are tough, low maintenance, and beautiful, these specimens can turn the City of Trees into the City of Sneeze due to tiny fibers found in their seedpods, wood, and leaves. In our climate, the leaves turn a soft yellow or orange before fading to a tan color and falling. 

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Urban Roots Brewery & Smokehouse 

1322 V St, Sacramento, CA 95818

Since opening in 2018, Urban Roots has quickly become a Sacramento favorite. It’s also home to a diverse sampling of trees: the English elm, red oak, tupelo, and horse chestnut! 

English elm

English elms can reach heights up to 120 feet tall and are some of the tallest trees in the city’s skyline. These elms can be identified by their light grey fissured bark and large doubly serrated leaves with an asymmetrical base. The English elm across the street from Urban Roots is one of the nearly 1,800 elms that line the streets of Sacramento and helped establish our reputation as the City of Trees, when masses of them were planted at the turn of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, like some other elm species, English elms are no longer planted because they are susceptible to Dutch elm disease (DED), which is fatal to the tree. Instead, there are newer elm hybrids available that are resistant to DED and other common diseases found in trees. If you want to learn more about protecting these historic trees, check out our Save the Elms community science program. 

Red oak

Of course, it wouldn’t be Oaktoberfest without adding another oak to our list. Growing in the planter strip along V Street, red oaks can grow up to 70-90 feet tall with a spread of 50 feet. Living up to their name, the leaves of a red oak turn a beautiful shade of red during the fall—not a sight to be missed! If you like the sturdy and robust looks of this oak, there are plenty of other oak species that aren’t as susceptible to aphids and the sticky mess they cause. 

Tupelo

Another gorgeous tree to check out on your trip is the tupelo, which is the street tree growing in the planter strip on 14th Street. Although we do not typically recommend thirsty trees, tupelos love moist environments and are tolerant to poor drainage, so they are suited to yards that are too wet for other species. The name tupelo comes from the Creek word meaning tree and swamps. Tiny white flowers in the spring support pollinators such as honeybees, who make the famous tupelo honey that inspired a Van Morrison song. Their shiny green leaves turn a bright cherry red in the fall, which contrasts nicely against blue-black berries that birds adore. 

Horse chestnut

You can also spot the horse chestnut tree on the patio of Urban Roots, which is in the same genus as our native California buckeye. Candlestick-shaped clusters of white flowers bloom in the spring, and warm yellow leaves in the autumn are a nice feature. When not blooming, they are most recognizable by their compound palmate leaves. Horse chestnuts are popular in Europe and can be found in many parks, avenues, and gardens. The horse chestnut can grow to be up to 60 feet tall. 

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New Helvetia Brewing Company

1730 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818 

English oak

Adding to the list of oaks to see is the English oak at New Helvetia Brewing Company. As a brewery that loves history just as much as beer, it seems fitting that you’d find this historic oak in front of New Helvetia. A fun fact about English oaks: they have a lifespan of 600 to 700 years! English oaks provide plenty of shade with their heavily leafed branches. Their leaves are about 4 inches long with 4 to 5 deep lobes with smooth edges and remain dark green all year long 

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Big Stump Brewing Company

1716 L St, Sacramento, CA 95811 

Carob

Enjoy a cold refreshment while sitting under the shade of the large carob in front of Big Stump Brewing Company in Midtown. As members of the legume family that are native to the eastern Mediterranean region, carob trees are identified by their glossy dark green leaves which are divided into round leaflets. Female trees produce dark brown leathery seedpods that can be harvested and used as a chocolate substitute. 

Sawleaf Zelkova 

Another tree to admire on your trip to Big Stump is the sawleaf Zelkova. Zelkovas are popular urban trees and line many of our residential neighborhoods. You can identify this tree by its mottled grey-brown bark, saw-toothed leaves, and wide vase-like canopy. These low-mess trees offer year-round interest — they are one of the earliest species to leaf out as early as February and are loved for their commanding yet tidy appearance. Zelkovas in our region have varying fall colors ranging from gold to orange to rust.

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Oak Park Brewing Co.

3514 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95817 

Chinese pistache

Like the variety of beer they have on tap, Oak Park Brewing Co. is also home to a variety of trees to check out on your next visit. It’s easy to see why the Chinese pistache has called another brewery home — who wouldn’t want to sip a cold beverage and admire its beautiful fall foliage? Oak Park Brewing Co. is also home to several Southern Magnolias and hackberries. 

Southern Magnolia

The Southern Magnolia is a slow-growing evergreen tree, but it can reach a height of up to 80 feet tall with a spread of 60 feet. You can recognize them by their large dark green glossy leaves with matte copper-colored backsides and spectacular spring blooms. While many love the large white fragrant flowers the Southern Magnolia produces, their leathery leaves and seed pods can also litter the streets during the fall. The fruit of this tree are a fan favorite amongst squirrels and birds—including the wild turkeys who wander the streets from time to time! Smaller cultivars are also available. 

Common hackberries

Common hackberries are sturdy trees that are drought- and pollution-tolerant, and they are in the same family as elms and Zelkovas. European and Chinese hackberries are perhaps more common in the region. These trees provide ample shade along our sidewalks, and their dark berries help feed our local birds. You can often spot a hackberry by their dark gunmetal bark with corky branch bark ridges and lenticels that grow on their trunks and branches. Their leaves are serrated and turn a soft yellow in the fall. Like red oaks and crape myrtles mentioned above, these trees can be prone to aphids that drop sticky secretions on sidewalks and driveways.