West Hollywood is moving forward with plans to remove Tipu trees in the northeast part of the city. The mature Tipu trees along Vista Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Fountain Avenue are marked for removal. Another notice appeared on Tipu trees in the 1200 block of Poinsettia Place.
City notices say the Tipu trees are infested with psyllids and need to come out. More suitable species will replace them. This is the final phase of a multi-year Tipu tree removal project in northeast West Hollywood.
Residents aren’t happy. Neighbors fired back with their own flyers. “Save Our Trees,” the homemade notices read. They’re asking people to contact City Council and demand the City reconsider removing the Tipu trees.
What Are Tipu Trees
The Tipu tree’s scientific name is Tipuana tipu. It’s also called Rosewood or Pride of Bolivia. Many people know it as the “Yellow Jacaranda” because of how it looks.
The trees resemble the purple-blooming jacarandas that line streets across West Hollywood and all over Southern California. Both have the same feathery, fern-like leaves made up of small leaflets arranged along a central stem. The canopy shape is similar too. But while jacarandas burst with lavender-purple flowers, Tipus bloom bright yellow. The flowers arrive briefly in late summer and fall like a golden carpet beneath the tree.
Native to South America, the trees grow fast. They reach 40 to 50 feet tall with an equal spread. Drought tolerant once established. Popular as shade trees because they create that wide, graceful canopy. The downside is aggressive roots that can damage sidewalks and weak
branches when young that need pruning.
What Are Tipu Trees?
The Tipu tree’s scientific name is Tipuana tipu. It’s also called Rosewood or Pride of Bolivia. Many people know it as the “Yellow Jacaranda” because of how it looks.
The trees resemble the purple-blooming jacarandas that line streets across Southern California. Both have the same feathery, fern-like leaves made up of small leaflets arranged along a central stem. The canopy shape is similar too. But while jacarandas burst with lavender-purple flowers, Tipus bloom bright yellow. The flowers arrive briefly in late summer and fall like a golden carpet beneath the tree.
Native to South America, the trees grow fast. They reach 40 to 50 feet tall with an equal spread. Drought tolerant once established. Popular as shade trees because they create that wide, graceful canopy. The downside is aggressive roots that can damage sidewalks and weak branches when young that need pruning.
Will the Pest Spread to the Purple Jacarandas?
No. Despite the similar appearance and “Yellow Jacaranda” nickname, Tipu psyllids won’t jump to actual jacaranda trees.
Psyllids are host-specific insects. They evolved to feed on one plant species or one closely related group. Research from UC Riverside’s Center for Invasive Species confirms Tipu psyllid is “strictly associated with the tipu tree.”
Tipu trees belong to the Fabaceae family. That’s the legume or pea family. Jacaranda trees belong to Bignoniaceae. Completely different plant families. The bug can’t make that evolutionary leap.
This means purple jacarandas, oaks, sycamores, and most other street trees in West Hollywood face no threat from Tipu psyllid. The pest problem is contained to Tipus only.
That biological reality makes the City’s replacement strategy viable. Whatever species replaces the Tipus won’t face the same infestation issue.
The City’s Case
City Manager Jackie Rocco addressed the controversy at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. She said the City explored treatment options but couldn’t control the pest population.
“These trees are being removed and replaced because they are infested with a non-native pest and declining over time,” Rocco said. “The city has been very active in exploring treatment options, but we have not been successful in eradicating or controlling populations of the pest.”
This is the third and final phase of removals in northeast West Hollywood, according to Rocco. The project followed the Urban Forest Management Plan adopted by Council in 2019. She reminded folks it went through public meetings with proper notice.
Rocco stressed that public safety comes first when trees get compromised. “Tree removals and replacement plantings are a key part of a healthy and vibrant urban forest,” she said.
What Psyllids Do
Psyllids are tiny sap-sucking insects, not a fungus. The Tipu psyllid arrived in California in 2008 from South America. Without natural predators here, they thrive.
The bugs feed on young leaves and branches. When populations get high, trees lose leaves prematurely. Both adult psyllids and nymphs produce sticky honeydew that drips on sidewalks and cars. That honeydew grows black sooty mold.
Professional arborists say several treatment options exist. Foliar sprays. Systemic insecticides applied to soil. Direct trunk injections. The research shows treatments work best when applied proactively in winter or early spring before populations explode.
Treatment Options vs. City’s Experience
The gap between what’s scientifically available and what the City accomplished raises questions for some.
Commercial arborists across Southern California treat Tipu psyllid infestations regularly. They offer foliar sprays, systemic soil treatments, and direct trunk injections. UC research shows these work when applied proactively in winter or early spring.
The City says it tried to control the pest but failed. What’s not clear is which treatments were attempted, for how long, or why they didn’t work when other municipalities and private property owners report success.
“In South America, where the Tipu psyllid is native, there are insect predators that help to keep Tipu psyllid in check,” according to arborist research from UC Cooperative Extension. “Unfortunately, none of the insect good guys are established in Southern California. So, treatments are generally warranted when the insect has established itself in the area.”
The research emphasizes prevention and early intervention. “It is best to proactively treat Tipu trees during the winter or early spring to prevent these insects from establishing, but there are measures that can be taken during the spring and summer if an infestation is discovered.”
Professional tree care companies routinely manage these infestations. One California arborist noted online that Tipu psyllids “generate a healthy amount of business for us” through annual treatments and growth regulators to keep complaints low.
The City hasn’t released details about its treatment attempts. How many years treatments were applied. Which methods were used. Why the results differed from what commercial arborists achieve on private property.
Residents’ Counterargument
The community flyer disputes the need for removal. “Psyllids are at worst a nuisance and no arborist nor government organization recommends destroying trees with these small flies in them,” it reads. “Psyllids will NOT kill the tree or surrounding trees.”
The flyer warns the block will lose shade for over a decade. It claims the replacement trees are “glorified shrubs” that won’t provide real canopy coverage.
The Vista Street trees are more than 20 years old, according to the resident notice. They provide what neighbors call “beautiful canopy and critical shade.”
“If the city removes these trees, our block will be without meaningful shade for 10+ years,” the flyer states. “The new trees will never provide a canopy.”
Other Tree Threats in Southern California
The psyllid isn’t the only invasive pest threatening SoCal’s urban forests. The invasive shot hole borer beetle has killed tens of thousands of trees across seven Southern California counties since the early 2000s.
Two nearly identical species, the polyphagous shot hole borer and Kuroshio shot hole borer, bore into trees and introduce a fungus that causes Fusarium dieback. The beetles are tiny, about the size of a sesame seed. But they attack healthy trees and reproduce fast.
The pest has spread through Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. It recently reached San Jose. Over 300 tree species can host the beetles. At least 17 species are confirmed as reproductive hosts the beetles can kill.
Signs include round entry holes the size of a ballpoint pen tip. Bark staining. Oozing sap. Branch dieback. No direct controls prevent beetle attacks. Severely infested trees with more than 150 entry holes usually need removal.
A third species of shot hole borer was detected in Santa Cruz County in late 2024.
What Happens Next
The City says anyone with questions can contact Facilities Manager Philip Tycoon or Public Works Director Helen Collins. Sam Estrada, Urban Forest and Landscape Maintenance Supervisor, is also listed on the removal notices. His number is (323) 848-6867. His email is sestrada@weho.org.
The resident flyer provides contact information for Mayor John Heilman, Vice Mayor Danny Hang, and all Council members. It urges people to “ask them to reconsider destroying these healthy, mature trees.”
West Hollywood maintains about 9,000 public trees across the city. The Urban Forest Management Plan aims to maximize tree canopy while maintaining public safety. It calls for selecting species better suited to current conditions and less vulnerable to pests.
The plan doesn’t specify removal timelines or how many trees this final phase affects.
yes save our trees! it’s such a shame what city of west hollywood has done to the mature trees. the trees the city replanted with last year are so flimsy, and the city didn’t even fully replace each one that was cut. They were missing 3 replacement trees on Formosa last year (between Santa Monica/Fountain. Additionally, the replacement trees have been so flimsy and terribly planted. I’ve counted about 4 of the replacement trees between Formosa + Poinsettia that have already either uprooted or fallen due to being too small + susceptible to wind. Summer is coming and we need… Read more »
We have several Tipus on Poinsettia Drive. While they are beautiful when in bloom, if you park under them, your windshield will be covered in tiny droplets of sap that are very resistant to removal unless you scrub them off by hand. We are fortunate to have a wide variety of beautiful street trees in our neighborhood so the removal of these trees is disappointing, I am sure the City will find appropriate replacements. Maybe the City should offer the residents an opportunity to have input on whatever new trees will be planted.
Are you a resident on Poinsettia Drive? Did the City actually notify you about this plan in advance? I only learned about it from posted removal notices. I could support phased replacement over time, but removing 132 mature trees at once is extreme. Sap on cars is inconvenient, but it does not justify effectively clear-cutting an entire neighborhood and replacing it with 5-foot saplings that will take decades to provide comparable shade and cooling. For a fraction of the cost, the City could mitigate sap impacts with simple measures like free car covers. We also haven’t even been told what… Read more »
Seconding your demand for transparency and public input from residents. And more specifics about the “public safety,” as you mentioned. Nothing should be done until the entire community has a chance to weigh in.