This section describes general standards; tree planting standards; hedge planting standards; shrub planting standards; and ground cover planting standards.
A. General Standards: To ensure installation of plants that will thrive under stressful urban conditions, certain species must be encouraged. The standards listed in this section will help prevent the planting of trees that become hazards, maintenance problems, or a scar on the landscape.
B. Quality:
1. Plants shall meet the standards of "American Standard for Nursery Stock", ANSI Z60.1 latest edition, American association of nurserymen, which by reference is made a part of these guidelines. References to minima and maxima with respect to plant height and spread, root ball diameter and depth, etc., are from this publication.
2. Plants shall meet all requirements of federal, state, and local law with respect to plant type, labeling, nursery or plant inspection, disease, insect, and other pest infestation, and any other requirements.
3. Plants shall be high quality nursery grown stock.
4. Substandard "B-grade" or "park grade" plants are not acceptable.
5. Field collected plants are not acceptable, even if they have been subsequently planted in the ground in a nursery or planted in a container.
6. Plants shall have been grown in a climate zone similar to River Forest's, i.e., United States department of agriculture (most recent USDA zone hardiness map) zone 4 or 5 (zone 5 plants are generally hardy only near the warming influence of Lake Michigan). Plants from zone 6B or more, i.e., warmer climate zones, are not acceptable.
7. Plants shall be in a healthy, vigorous condition, free of dead or broken branches, scars that are not completely healed, frost cracks, disfiguring knots, broken or abraded bark, redundant leaders or branches, rubbing branches, or aberrations of any kind. Plants shall not have multiple leaders, unless this is the natural form; multistem trees are not acceptable for required planting in parkways.
8. Plants shall have full, even, well developed branching and a dense, fibrous, and vigorous root system.
C. Digging And Handling:
1. Balled and burlapped (B&B) plants shall be dug with a firm root ball of natural earth, of a size in proportion to the plant's size, as measured by caliper, height, or spread.
2. Balled and burlapped plants shall be handled only by the root ball, not by the trunk or branches, as this may break or loosen the root ball and damage the root system.
3. Container plants shall have been established for a minimum of one full growing season in their containers before installation.
4. Container plants shall be handled only by the container, not by the stems or branches, as this may pull the plant out of the container and break or loosen the root ball and damage the root system.
5. Bare root shrubs and ground cover plants are acceptable, if they are dug and installed at the appropriate season and handled in the appropriate manner.
6. Bare root trees are not acceptable.
7. Plants shall be protected from drying out during shipping with tarpaulins or other covering.
8. Plants shall be protected from drying out after delivery by planting immediately; if this is not possible, the root ball shall be covered with peat moss or earth, and watered frequently to keep it moist until planting.
9. Not handled, moved, bound, tied or otherwise treated so as to damage the root ball, roots, trunk, or branches in any way.
D. Inspection:
1. During construction, parkway trees will be inspected by the village forester to confirm compliance with this chapter. If the trees fail to meet the requirements of this chapter, they must be replaced at the owner's expense. At the end of five years, the village forester will perform an acceptance inspection. If the project is approved, the village will then assume responsibility for the trees in the public right of way.
2. Standards for size are at time of installation.
3. Minimum size shall be two and one-half inch caliper, measured six inches aboveground.
4. Trees shall have a clear trunk, free of branches, to a minimum height of six feet.
5. Trees shall be balled and burlapped (B&B), with no exceptions.
6. Two and one-half inch caliper trees shall be twelve feet to fourteen feet in height, with a maximum height of sixteen feet.
7. Two and one-half inch caliper trees shall have a minimum twenty eight inch diameter by eighteen inch depth root ball.
E. Recommended Species; Trees: The following deciduous tree species and varieties are recommended. The selection of trees is subject to the review of the village for specific locations.
Botanical Name
| Common Name
|
Botanical Name
| Common Name
|
Acer saccharinum | Silver maple |
Catalpa spp. | Catalpa species |
Celtis occidentalis | Hackberry |
C. occidentalis 'Prairie Pride' | Prairie pride hackberry |
Corylus colurna | Turkish filbert |
Fraxinus americana | White ash |
F. americana 'Autumn Applause' | Autumn applause white ash |
F. americana 'Autumn Purple' | Autumn purple white ash |
F. americana 'Rose Hill' | Rose hill white ash |
Fraxinus excelsior | European ash |
Fraxinus quadrangulata | Blue ash |
Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Green ash |
F. pennsylvanica 'Newport' | Newport green ash |
F. pennsylvanica 'Patmore' | Patmore green ash |
F. pennsylvanica 'Summit' | Summit green ash |
Ginkgo biloba (male only) | Ginkgo |
G. biloba 'Autumn Gold' | Autumn gold ginkgo |
G. biloba 'Fairmount' | Fairmount ginkgo |
G. biloba 'Lakeview' | Lakeview ginkgo |
G. biloba 'Princeton Sentry'1 | Princeton sentry ginkgo |
Gleditsia triacanthos | Honey locust, straight species |
Gleditsia triacanthos inermis | Thornless honey locust |
Gleditsia triacanthos inermis 'Greenglory' | Green glory honey locust |
G. triacanthos inermis 'Halka' | Halka honey locust |
G. triacanthos inermis 'Shademaster' | Shademaster honey locust |
G. triacanthos inermis 'Skyline' | Skyline honey locust |
Gymnocladus dioicus | Kentucky coffee tree |
Liriodendron tulipifera | Tulip tree, yellow poplar |
Phellodendron amurense | Amur corktree |
Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer'2 | Chanticleer flowering pear |
P. calleryana 'Redspire'2 | Redspire flowering pear |
P. calleryana 'Whitehouse'2 | Whitehouse flowering pear |
Quercus bicolor | Swamp white oak |
Quercus imbricaria2 | Shingle oak |
Quercus muehlenbergii2 | Chinkapin oak |
Quercus robur2 | English oak |
Quercus rubrum2 | Red oak |
Quercus macrocarpa2 | Bur oak |
Tilia americana | American linden |
T. americana 'Fastigiata' | Pyramidal American linden |
T. americana 'Redmond' | Redmond linden |
Tilia cordata | Littleleaf linden |
T. cordata 'Chancellor' | Chancellor linden |
T. cordata 'Glenleven' | Glenleven linden |
T. cordata 'Olympic' | Olympic linden |
Tilia x euchlora | Redmond linden |
Tilia platyphyllos | Big leaf linden |
Tilia tomentosa | Silver linden |
T. tomentosa 'Sterling Silver' | Sterling Silver silver linden |
Tilia vulgaris | European linden |
Ulmus carpinifolia 'Accolade' | Accolade smooth leaf elm |
U. carpinifolia 'Homestead' | Homestead smooth leaf elm |
U. carpinifolia 'Regal' | Regal smooth leaf elm |
Zelkova serrata | Zelkova |
Z. serrata 'Greenvase' | Greenvase zelkova |
Ponderosa pines | |
1. For use only in narrow parkways with nearby buildings and street.
2. Spring dig only.
The specification of improved varieties of plants is recommended. The varieties of a given species may have a straighter trunk, a more symmetrical crown, better flowering or fall color, resistance to disease or insect infestations, etc. All trees shall be wrapped with burlap from base to lowest branches and secured with biodegradable twine. Project owners are advised to seek advice when selecting plants: a certified nurseryman, the cooperative extension service of the University of Illinois, a registered landscape architect, a reputable landscape contractor, etc.
F. Acceptable Species, Subject To Approval: The following tree species and varieties are acceptable if specifically approved by the village forester:
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Acer rubrum | Red maple |
Acer saccharum | Sugar maple |
A. saccharum 'Columnare'* | Columnar sugar maple |
A. saccharum 'Green Mountain' | Green mountain sugar maple |
A. saccharum 'Wright Brothers' | Wright brothers sugar maple |
Alnus glutinosa | Alder |
Betula nigra | River birch |
Malus spp. | Apples, crab apples |
Metasequoia glyptostroboides | Dawn redwood |
Populus spp. | Poplars, cottonwood, aspen |
Prunus spp. | Cherries, plums |
Robinia pseudoacacia | Black locust |
Taxodium distichum | Bald cypress |
G. Unacceptable Species: The following tree species and varieties are unacceptable (conifers or needle evergreens are unacceptable; trees with thorns are unacceptable for any parkway planting):
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Acer negundo | Box elder |
Acer platanoides 'Emerald Queen' | Emerald queen Norway maple |
Ailanthus altissima | Tree of heaven |
Elaeagnus angustifolia | Russian olive |
Ginkgo biloba (female) | Female ginkgo |
Maclura pomifera | Osage orange |
H. Hedge Planting Standards:
1. Size standards are at time of installation.
2. Minimum height of hedge plants shall be thirty inches.
3. Minimum spread of hedge plants shall be twenty four inches.
4. Narrow, upright, or smaller plants, such as Japanese barberry, Peking cotoneaster, compact burning bush, Hick's yew, compact European cranberry, and compact American cranberry may be difficult to obtain with a twenty four inch spread, and shall have a minimum eighteen inch spread.
5. Spacing standards are at time of installation.
6. Maximum spacing of hedge plants shall be thirty six inches.
Narrow, upright, or smaller plants, such as Japanese barberry, Peking cotoneaster, compact burning bush, Hicks yew, compact European cranberry, and compact American cranberry make a more effective screen when planted closer together, and shall have a maximum thirty inch spacing.
I. Hedge Maintenance:
1. Hedges shall be maintained as dense, continuous lines of foliage, and shall not be sheared as a series of individual plants.
2. Hedges shall be sheared with "battered" sides, i.e., the base wider than the top, to allow light to reach the lower part of the plant, to prevent the foliage at the bottom from thinning.
3. Planting of any tree species or varieties not listed above as an acceptable species will require application to, and permission from, the village forester.
J. Unacceptable Forms: The following tree forms are unacceptable for parkway planting:
1. Multistem: Trees with two or more trunks.
2. Espalier Or Topiary: Geometrical plant forms achieved through pruning which are contrary to natural form.
3. Dwarf Or Small Scale: Those trees which grow higher than three feet but cannot be undertrimmed to a minimum height of six feet.
4. Topped Or Dehorned: Trees with most of the crown removed, such that the main branches end abruptly in stubs.
K. Recommended Species For Hedges: The following shrub species and varieties are recommended:
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Berberis thunbergii | Japanese barberry |
Caragana arborescens | Siberian pea shrub |
Cotoneaster acutifolius | Peking cotoneaster |
Euonymus alata 'Compacta' | Compact burning bush |
Juniperus virginiana | Eastern red cedar |
Ligustrum lucidum | Privet |
Ribes alpinum | Alpine currant |
Syringa meyeri | Meyer's lilac |
Syringa patula 'Miss Kim' | Miss Kim Korean lilac |
Thuja occidentalis 'Technyi' | Mission arborvitae |
Viburnum trilobum 'Compactum' | Compact American cranberry |
Planting of any species or varieties not listed above as an acceptable species will require application to, and permission from, the village forester.
L. Shrub Planting Standards:
1. Shrub planting is not required, except as a hedge required for vehicular use area screening. Shrub planting is encouraged in appropriate locations supplemental to the internal landscaping required for vehicular use areas. No shrubs shall be planted on the parkway unless approved by the village.
2. Shrubs are subject to the following restrictions:
a. If used, they must be maintained below three foot height.
b. Shrubs are subject to the same location standards as trees.
M. Recommended Species; Shrubs: The following shrub species and varieties are recommended:
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Aronia melanocarpa | Black chokeberry |
Berberis thunbergii | Japanese barberry |
Buxus microphylla koreana | Korean boxwood |
Caragana arborescens | Siberian pea shrub |
Corylus americana | American filbert |
Cotoneaster apiculata | Cranberry cotoneaster |
Cotoneaster horizontalis | Rockspray cotoneaster |
Euonymus fortunei 'Sarcoxie' | Sarcoxie wintercreeper |
Forsythia 'Arnold Dwarf' | Arnold dwarf forsythia |
F. viridissima 'Bronxensis' | Bronx green stem forsythia |
F. x intermedia | Border forsythia |
Ilex x meserveae | Blue holly |
Juniperus chinensis | Chinese junipers |
Juniperus chinensis procumbens | Japanese garden juniper |
Juniperus horizontalis | Dwarf creeping junipers |
Ligustrum vulgare | Common privet |
Ligustrum x vicaryi | Golden vicary privet |
Potentilla fruticosa | Potentilla |
Rhus aromatica 'Gro-low' | Gro low sumac |
Ribes alpinum | Alpine currant |
Spirea japonica | Japanese spirea |
Spirea x bumalda | Bumalda spirea |
Syringa meyeri | Meyer's lilac |
Syringa patula 'Miss Kim' | Miss Kim Korean lilac |
N. Ground Cover Planting Standards:
1. Ground cover planting is not required, except in required vehicular use area internal planting. However, it is encouraged in appropriate locations as an adjunct to required internal planting.
2. For safety and visibility, ground covers can be planted only in certain areas of the parkway.
O. Recommended Species; Ground Cover: The following ground cover species and varieties are recommended:
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Aegopodium podagraria | Goutweed |
Cotoneaster adpressa | Creeping cotoneaster |
Cotoneaster dammeri | Bearberry cotoneaster |
Cotoneaster horizontalis | Rock spray cotoneaster |
Cotoneaster horizontalis 'Hessei' | Hesse cotoneaster |
Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' | Purple leaf wintercreeper |
Euonymus fortunei vegetus | Big leaf wintercreeper |
Hedera helix | English ivy |
Juniperus chinensis procumbens | Japanese garden juniper |
Juniperus chinensis sargentii | Sargent juniper |
Juniperus conferta | Shore juniper |
Juniperus horizontalis | Creeping juniper |
Lonicera henry | Henry honeysuckle |
Pachysandra terminalis | Japanese pachysandra |
Rhus aromatica 'Gro-low' | Gro low sumac |
Vinca minor | Periwinkle |
Certain species listed above require a more sheltered planting environment and project owners are advised to seek advice when selecting plants: a certified nurseryman, the cooperative extension service of the University of Illinois, a registered landscape architect, a reputable landscape contractor, etc.
P. Other Species: Planting of any species or varieties not listed above will require application to, and permission from, the zoning administrator.
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Taxus cuspidata | Japanese yew |
Taxus x media 'Tauntonii' | Taunton yew |
Viburnum carlesii 'Compacta' | Dwarf Korean spice viburnum |
Viburnum trilobum 'Compactum' | Compact American cranberry |
Viburnum trilobum 'Hahs' | Hahs American cranberry |
Viburnum x carlcephalum | Fragrant viburnum |
Q. Permission Required For Unapproved Species: Planting of any species or varieties not listed above will require application to, and permission from, the zoning administrator. (Ord. 2960, 4-8-2002)