A. Street Tree Definition: All trees on public right-of-way between the curb and the property line along the sides of streets or in medians of all streets, avenues or ways within the City.
B. Species, Cultivars And Varieties:
1. Table I of this section lists the recommended tree species or their varieties and cultivars acceptable for planting on City rights-of-way or City owned property. The trees are listed by their height and their respective table includes their botanical name, common name, cultivars, growth rate, form and suggested conditions/remarks. The size of tree to be planted will depend on the width of the planting strip and available growing height.
2. It is recommended that native tree species be favored in selection due to their inherent characteristics which enable them to prosper under our environmental conditions.
3. Unacceptable tree species or their varieties contained in table II of this section shall not be planted on City rights- of-way or other City owned properties because of the reasons mentioned except in special locations when approved by the Public Works Department.
4. It is recognized that there are trees contained in table II of this section presently growing in the City right-of-way as a result of unrestricted planting. These trees do constitute a hazard and upon their removal, if the planting space is to be replanted, shall be replaced by a recommended species as listed in table I of this section.
5. Tree genera and species not listed in table I or table II of this section may or may not be acceptable. Those plants, at the time the manual was prepared, did not constitute a substantial enough benefit or problem to the community to be included within the scope of this article. Plants which fall under this criteria should be brought to the attention of the Public Works Department.
6. When a specified site has been assigned a particular species and/or variety of plant, only that designated plant shall be used at the site. If that species shall be replaced, it shall be replaced by the same species and/or variety upon removal except upon revision, and approval by the Public Works Department, of the planting plan which governs the site. (Ord. 08-11, 8-4-2008)
TABLE I
RECOMMENDED TREES
RECOMMENDED TREES
Tall Trees (>40 Feet)
Botanical Name | Common Name | Cultivars | Growth Rate | Form | Suggested Conditions And Remarks |
Botanical Name | Common Name | Cultivars | Growth Rate | Form | Suggested Conditions And Remarks |
Acer "keithsform" | Hybrid maple | Pacific sunset | M | Oval | Upright oval habit. Hybrid of A.platonoides and A.truncatum |
Duraheat "moonshine" | M | Oval | Exceptionally heat tolerant new in the market. Use only tree forms | ||
Acer miyabei | State Street Miyabe maple | "Morton" | M | Upright oval | Dark green leaves and golden yellow fall color |
Acer nigrum | Black maple | M | Oval | Western, more drought tolerant. Yellow fall color | |
Acer saccharum | Sugar maple | Oval | Seek local sources | ||
Crescendo | "Morton" | M | Broadly oval | Good heat tolerance. Orange to red fall color | |
"Green Mountain" | M | Upright oval | Sun/shade. Tolerates different soil types. Not salt tolerant | ||
"Commemoration" | M | Oval to round | Very vigorous. Faster than straight species | ||
"Legacy" | M | Oval | Thick green leaves, drought tolerant, good vigor. Orange-red fall color | ||
"Sweet shadow" | M | Oval | Cut leaf form of sugar maple. Good vigor and growth in northern climates | ||
Acer X freemanii | Freeman maple | Marmo | M | Oval | Soil pH below 7.5; attractive fall color; hybrid of red and silver maple |
Catalpa speciosa | Catalpa | "Northern" | F | Round | Good street tree. Drought tolerant |
Celtis occidentalis | Hackberry | M | Vase | Tolerates alkaline soil; slow to establish; corky bark | |
"Chicagoland" | M | Round | Adaptable. Good urban tree | ||
Ginkgo biloba | Ginko (male only) | S | Pyramidal | Urban tolerant; male trees only | |
Gleditsia triacanthos | Honey locust | Shademaster | F | Irregular | Fruitless; vase shaped with age; ascending branches |
Skyline "skycole" | F | Upright | Fruitless; forms central leader | ||
Gymnocladus dioicus | Kentucky coffeetree | M | Oval | Moist, rich soil; salt tolerant; coarse textured; dioecious | |
Expresso | S | Upright oval | Fruitless male form of the coffeetree with a distinct elm like vase shaped habit | ||
Hybrid elms | Recommended on basis of disease resistance to DED and phloem necrosis | ||||
Liriodendron tulipifera | Tuliptree | F | Oval | Prefers moist, well drained soil | |
Platanus x acerifolia | Bloodgood London planetree | "Bloodgood" | F | Broadly oval | Cross between American sycamore and oriental plane resistant to anthracnose |
Exclamation London planetree | "Morton Circle" | F | Pyramidal | Prefers sun and well drained soil | |
Quercus bicolor | Swamp white oak | S | Round | Soil pH below 7.2; tolerates poor drainage; protect saplings from borers | |
Quercus macrocarpa | Bur oak | S | Round | Dry to wet soil; slow to establish; protect saplings from borers | |
Quercus muehlenbergii | Chinkapin oak | S | Round | Tolerant of alkaline soils; protect saplings from borers | |
Quercus robur | English oak | M | Round | Well drained soil; tolerant of alkaline soils | |
Quercus rubra | Northern red oak | M | Round | Prefers well drained alkaline soils with full sun | |
Quercus x scheutteii | Hybrid | M | Round | Hybrid of bur and swamp white oaks. Great for urban conditions | |
Quercus x warei | Regal prince | "Long" | M | Narrow | Hybrid of English oak. Upright narrow habit |
Tilia cordata | Littleleaf linden | M | Pyramidal | Urban tolerant; moist soils; several cultivar selections; pest problems | |
Greenspire | M | Pyramidal | Improved form; formal habit | ||
Tilia heterophylla | Beetree linden | Continental appeal | M | Narrow pyramidal | Urban tolerant, narrow form |
Tilia tomentosa | Sterling silver linden | "Sterling" | M | Broad pyramidal | Tough urban tree, felty (hairy) leaves. Not as attractive to Japanese beetles |
Green mountain | "PNI 6051" | M | Broad pyramidal | Numerous recommendations from many publications | |
Tilia x euchlora | Redmond linden | Redmond | M | Pyramidal | Urban tolerant; formal narrow crown widening with age |
Tilia x flavescens | Glenleven linden | "Glenleven" | F | Pyramidal | Fast growing straight trunk, open branching with loose leaves |
Ulmus | Accolade elm | "Morton" | F | Vase | Glossy deep green foliage |
Triumph | "Morton glossy" | F | Vase | Similar to accolade, may have better form | |
Commendation | "Morton stalwart" | F | Upright oval | Better branch structure than accolade | |
"Frontier" | F | Vase | High tolerance to Dutch Elm Disease. Good for urban conditions | ||
"New Horizon" | F | Vase | High tolerance to Dutch Elm Disease. Good for urban conditions | ||
Ulmus Americana | "New harmony" | F | Vase | Resistant to DED per national arboretum release | |
Medium Trees (30 Feet - 40 Feet)
Botanical Name | Common Name | Cultivars | Growth Rate | Form | Suggested Conditions And Remarks |
Acer pseudosieboldianum | Korean maple | S | Oval | Hardiest of Asiatic small maples for our region. Orange-red fall color | |
Carpinus betulus | European hornbeam | S | Oval | Urban tolerant; dense habit; attractive smooth bark | |
Cornus mas | Cornelian cherry dogwood | M | Oval | Early yellow spring flowers, dark green summer foliage, ornamental late summer fruit. Attractive flaky winter bark | |
Prunus sargentii | Sargent's cherry | M | Upright | Full sun; intolerant of poor drained soils; attractive early pink flowers | |
Syringa pekinensis | China snow Peking tree lilac | "Morton" | S | Broad | Sun; intolerant of drought; showy flowers mid June, beautiful golden peeling bark |
Syringa reticulata | Japanese tree lilac | Ivory silk | S | Broad | Sun; intolerant of drought; showy flowers in mid June |
Low Trees (15 Feet - 30 Feet)
Botanical Name | Common Name | Cultivars | Growth Rate | Form | Suggested Conditions And Remarks |
Botanical Name | Common Name | Cultivars | Growth Rate | Form | Suggested Conditions And Remarks |
Carpinus caroliniana | American hornbeam | S | Oval | Moist soil; well drained; shade | |
Ceris canadensis | Eastern redbud single stem | M | Broad | Sun or partial shade; good for naturalizing; occasional hardiness and disease problems | |
Malus | Crabapple | Donald Wyman | M | Round | White flowers; small, dark red, persistent fruit, good color through winter |
Sugartyme | Prairifire | S | Spreading | Magenta flowers; small, dark red, persistent fruit; cherry like bark | |
Red jewel | S | Pyramidal | White flowers; bright red, persistent fruit; good color through winter | ||
Crabapple | Royal Raindrops | M | Upright spreading | Bright pink/red flowers, prefers moist, well drained soil | |
"Sutyzam" | S | Round | Good disease resistance, persistent fruit | ||
Malus transitoria | Golden raindrops | "Schmidtcutleaf" | S | Vase | Scab resistant, persistent fruit. Some trouble with fireblight in Wisconsin |
Ostrya virginiana | Hop hornbeam | S | Pyramidal | Dry soil; shade, interesting hop like fruit | |
Pyrus fauriel | Korean Sun Pear | Westwood | M | Rounded | Sun, average soil conditions, will not tolerate standing water, suitable under power lines |
TABLE II
UNACCEPTABLE TREES1,2
UNACCEPTABLE TREES1,2
Botanical Name | Common Name | Problem(s) |
Botanical Name | Common Name | Problem(s) |
Abies ssp. | Fir | Visibility |
Acer negundo | Box elder | Weak wooded |
Acer saccharinum | Silver maple | Weak wooded |
Ailanthus ssp. | Tree of heaven | Weak wooded/invasive |
Amelanchier | All serviceberries | Weak wooded |
Betula (other)* | Birch | Borers/short lived |
Diospyros ssp. | Persimmon | Litter |
Elaeagnus angustifolia | Russian olive | Weak wooded/short lived |
Fraxinus | All ash trees | Emerald ash bore |
Juglans ssp. | Walnut | Litter |
Juniperus ssp. | Juniper | Visibility |
Maclura pomifera | Osage orange | Litter/thorns |
Malus (other)* | Apple | Disease/litter |
Morus ssp. | Mulberry | Litter/short lived |
Picea ssp. | Spruce | Visibility |
Pinus ssp. | Pine | Visibility |
Populus ssp. | Poplar | Weak wooded/short lived |
Prunus (other)* | Cherry/plum | Disease/litter |
Pyrus | Chanticleer pear | Litter/weak wooded/invasive |
Pyrus (other)* | Pear | Litter/weak wooded |
Quercus (other)* | Pin oak | Chlorosis |
Rhus ssp. | Sumac | Short lived/invasive |
Robinia ssp. | Black locust | Shallow roots/short lived |
Salix ssp. | Willow | Weak wooded/invasive roots |
Thuja ssp. | Arborvitae | Visibility |
Ulmus (other)* | Elm | Dutch elm disease |
Notes:
1. When (other)* is indicated after botanical name it means "any species other than the approved species".
2. At the discretion of the Street Superintendent to allow species not listed as acceptable to be planted in the parkway.
(Ord. 17-27, 5-1-2017)