Corte Madera has updated its list of acceptable street tree species.

The Town Council voted unanimously on May 6 to remove the old list and adopt the new one. The 14 recommended species on the list are more resistant to pests and environmental changes while limiting potential infrastructure damage.

“I think this is outstanding work,” Councilmember Eli Beckman said. “I really appreciate how this is forward thinking in terms of making sure we’re selecting trees not just with an eye to our current climate, but with an eye to the more volatile climate that we see slowly coming on.”

The list is meant to be a resource for property owners and developers. It stops short of banning species not on the approved list.

The previous list of 16 recommended street trees was adopted in 1966.

“Which is now quite outdated and is no longer providing accurate guidance for the public for which trees are appropriate for street tree planting,” said Phoebe Goulden, the town climate official.

Beckman called the old list “backwards.” It recommended liquidambar trees, which he said have “destroyed so many thousands of linear feet of sidewalk in Corte Madera” and caused thousands of dollars in damage.

To modernize the list, town staff looked for trees that are drought and fire resistant; are unlikely to damage infrastructure such as sidewalks; are low maintenance; are adaptable to climate change; grow fast and sequester high amounts of carbon dioxide; are pollinator friendly; and are native to Marin or the state.

“Our first goal in developing this list was to select species that would build a resilient urban forest without having an overwhelming number of options for property owners to choose from,” Goulden said.

All species need minimal or no pruning and are fruit-free. Six of the species will show fall colors, five have flowers and six are evergreen.

Some of the trees — bronze loquat, Chinese elm, fruitless olive, ginkgo, hornbeam and arbutus marina — are salt tolerant. The California buckeye, Ray Hartman ceanothus and toyon species are native to the state. Other recommended species include the red maple, crape myrtle and sweet bay.

Tracy Hegarty, a town planner, said other native species were left off the list because they are not “well situated” for street tree planting. Some oaks species, such as coast live oak, are susceptible to disease, have destructive roots and require intense maintenance. Others, like the hollyleaf cherry tree, have messy fruits.

“So, in short, some native species have challenges as street trees,” Hegarty said. “Some are too sensitive, some are fire prone, some are too big or are not infrastructure friendly or some combination of these things.”

The species chosen grow well in a sunny, confined sidewalk planter strip, Hegarty said.

Goulden said the list was developed by consulting the town arborist, ArborScience Inc.; looking at tree lists in other municipalities; talking with workers at local plant nurseries; reviewing Fire Safe Marin research; and getting comments from public works staff, the Central Marin Fire Department and the Corte Madera Beautification Committee.

“This sounds like we’re really putting us on the right road, or the right sidewalk,” Mayor Pat Ravasio said.