Downtown tree advice - which ones!!

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rod Melotte

New Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2017
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
Location
USA
What would be the best forum for this! I'm an alderman in a small town in Wisconsin and we have a $25 million project for re-doing our street scape. I have been on a downtown tree crusade for years and FINALLY we can put in EIGHT trees in our downtown.

I have a list of salt tolerant trees and it has fallen on ME to pick a species GULP!! We want conical trees but I and wondering about root systems.

IS there anyone that can give me a list or advice on when trees would work in downtown settings? Our DPW is on board and we know the drawbacks - we just don't know WHAT trees would work for shade and all the other benefits.

My goal is to soften the hard brick landscape - cover some of the truck noise and make the place more pedestrian friendly.

Comments? Opinions? Where/who can I go for advice?
 
My personal favorite is live Oak. They are pretty, hardy, have leaves in the winter. They can handle some drought like conditions, but not forever. They grow great in California, but not sure if the salt would cause a problem in the winter. Why not mix it up a bit with a couple of different kinds. As soon as every one sees how nice they are the community will allow many more to be planned on. Thanks
 
They are low maintenance and youl never need to skinny them up along road ways. If you stub them they just get thicker
Just because people don't maintain them, doesn't make them "low maintenance". Without proper pruning/young tree training, they will have structure problems down the road. Not saying it is a bad choice...but they need maintenance.

Also, it is important to know what else is around. Many towns are 75%+ Acer and planting more is poor planning. If that is not the case in the OP's town, then, again, that is a good choice.
 
They are low maintenance and youl never need to skinny them up along road ways. If you stub them they just get thicker
How are their root system. We have been planting more and more autumn blaze maples in parks.

The cut outs in the cement is not huge so I'm worried about full size trees. It's a tight fit.

Remember this is Downtown. Nothing but cement
 
How are their root system. We have been planting more and more autumn blaze maples in parks.

The cut outs in the cement is not huge so I'm worried about full size trees. It's a tight fit.

Remember this is Downtown. Nothing but cement
Yeah that's why I suggested these. Roots won't push up walk path n curbs and they stay narrow at the trunk unlike the silver maple
 
Dr Rich Hauer (spelling?) is a fantastic urban tree expert at U of Wisconsin-Stevens Point I believe.

He'll know your area and which trees will perform best for you
As long as they don't suggest ash trees. They are dropping like flies around mn wi eab is staying near water ways ponds n lakes pretty bad. Hastings has a bunch of younger ash that's dead or almost dead
 
Fantastic - thanks. I know trees but not in a downtown setting and since this is ALL ON ME I've been looking for people that know people.

WE JUST got our first ash beetle in Columbus WI a few weeks ago.
 
Fantastic - thanks. I know trees but not in a downtown setting and since this is ALL ON ME I've been looking for people that know people.

WE JUST got our first ash beetle in Columbus WI a few weeks ago.
Well if you want to keep the remaining ash have em treated asap. The local wood peckers are are a good warning sign that bug is there
 
Fantastic - thanks. I know trees but not in a downtown setting and since this is ALL ON ME I've been looking for people that know people.

WE JUST got our first ash beetle in Columbus WI a few weeks ago.
Got EAB in Columbus OH in 04 or so. By the time you notice woodpeckers, the damage is extensive. Devastating insect.
 
If you don't mind the maintenance, maybe look into a semi-dwarf or full size apple tree?

You'll need to shape them as they grow and do routine cuttings to keep them at maximum fruit output, then there's some chemical care they most likely will need if you want the fruit to eat. But if all that doesn't scare you off, they're cool trees to have and bring in wildlife of all sorts.
 
Actually, there's a lot to be said for planting fruit trees in parks and community spaces to allow additional food sources (for everyone!).

The concrete is the problem as the debris will certainly not be well received and could even be hazardous.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top