Boise neighborhood
Collister Boise tree service from State Street to the foothills
Collister has some of the roomiest lots in this part of town. Many yards were carved from farmland, and the trees show it: tall windbreaks, aging fruit trees and big shade trees on lots measured in fractions of an acre. Tree service in Collister often means several trees on one property.
ZIP 83703
Local notes
An orchard neighborhood
The Collister Neighborhood Association covers the area from State and Taft Streets north to the foothills, between 36th Street and Pierce Park Lane, in ZIP 83703. The name comes from Dr. George Collister, who bought land here in 1897 and planted thousands of peach, plum and other fruit trees. In 1944 part of his land became the Sycamore neighborhood, laid out in lots of about seven-eighths of an acre, and the City has kept it zoned for low density since 1974.
Today you will find landmarks like Collister Elementary on Catalpa Drive, Hillside Junior High on Hill Road, Castle Hills Park and the Quail Hollow Golf Course off 36th Street, with Polecat Gulch and the foothill trails above.
On the job
Large lots, canals and the foothill edge
Big lots usually mean big trees: cottonwoods, silver maples, Siberian elms, black walnuts and pines that have had decades to grow without much pruning. Old fruit trees and windbreak rows decline, split and drop limbs, and dead ones are often left standing for years. The Farmers Union Canal and its laterals cross the neighborhood, and trees on ditch banks may involve the irrigation company before major work.
North of Hill Road, homes meet the grass and brush of the foothills, and Boise treats much of that area as wildland-urban interface. Common jobs include removing dead fruit and windbreak trees, trimming limbs off long driveways and outbuildings, and clearing fuels near homes on the upper streets.
Common questions
Collister tree questions
Is there a permit rule for the elms on my Collister lot?
Yes. Boise City Code 7-2-9 covers every elm in the city, public or private, so even one in the back corner needs a free City Forester permit. Siberian elms seed themselves along fences and ditches here, so it comes up a lot. Street trees need a Community Forestry permit as well.
Can you remove trees along the canal behind my house?
Usually, but the canal company may have a right of way along the bank and rules about debris in the water. We check who controls the bank and plan the cuts so nothing falls into the ditch.
Is an old orchard tree worth saving?
Sometimes. A fruit tree with a sound trunk can be pruned back into shape. One with a hollow trunk, heavy splits or a lean toward the house is usually better removed.
Talk to us about your tree
Old trees on a big Collister lot? Call (208) 504-3056.
Tell us roughly how many trees, how close they are to buildings and whether a ditch runs along the property.