Selecting a street tree
What are street trees?
Green landscaping incorporates organic elements to provide colour and richness to metropolitan environments, giving respite from an otherwise built-out and congested metropolis. Street trees and other soft cape features are municipal factors that promote green space, reduce air pollution, provide shade, and maintain ecological balance, encouraging people to walk further and more frequently. Trees along sidewalks are utilised to improve streetscape characteristics and should be planned to work in harmony with pre-existing infrastructure. Before planting new street trees, take into account existing street lights and structures, as well as benches and trees. The design, bark and leaf features, and density of the tree should be appropriate for the temperature and appearance of the surrounding area. . Street trees have a beneficial impact on the walkability of a community. A greater walk appeal indicates that individuals in the region enjoy their walks more, encouraging them to walk longer and more frequently. When a community improves its walkability, the economy benefits since property prices in adjacent regions generally rise.
What to Think About When Choosing Street Trees?
The planner must constantly consider how challenging the urban environment may be while selecting and planting street trees. City trees generally have excellent drought tolerance and the capacity to remain resilient in all climates. They should be carefully selected, tailored to soil and microclimate conditions, and intended to be long-lasting and sturdy.
Ensuring a healthy lifespan for urban trees:
The chance of urban trees thriving and being healthy is highly dependent on good tree selection. To select appropriate trees with the climate and the area where trees will be the bow, be careful preparation is necessary. Long-term street design concerns and infrastructure modifications, and all above- and below-ground facilities should be kept in mind. The mature growth and expansion of trees and drought and pest tolerance are all essential factors in ensuring that sidewalk trees have a bright future in beautifying any crowded metropolis.
Tree selection for commercial and residential streets:
The selection of street trees is also influenced by roadway and aims for the specific street. Ceremonial streets are constructed with uniformity and formality in mind since they serve as renowned public areas for various events and festivals. This is especially true for critical commercial routes, where street trees follow the city’s formal and regular planting patterns that aid in place recognition. More giant trees with overhanging canopies and high-density foliage will work nicely for these broader roadways.
Street tree planting in households and smaller streets can be more varied and less conventional. Medium-sized trees with brilliant foliage are a good choice. Columnar trees are ideal for more minor roads and alleyways. The planting style can represent community preferences, and there is a lot of diversity from one area to the next.
- The mature size, texture, and colour of the tree should mirror the street design objectives when picking the correct tree for commercial and residential streets.
- The adult canopy should not obstruct street lighting, signs, or building entrances.
- At maturity, the tree’s crown should not interfere with nearby infrastructure or overhead high-voltage power lines.
- The root systems should not interfere with services, walkways, or curbs.
Selected varieties:
Tree farmers are seeking tree types that can perform well as street trees, considering both standard and non-traditional options. Improved varieties of traditional trees can enable historic plantings to be replanted to restore a landscape consistent with the legacy of a specific street. When choosing individual plants, seek ones cultivated by a recognised nursery for street-tree planting. Look for plants that have been root controlled, have no instability in the pot, and have a well tapering trunk.
Some important sidewalk trees for North American climates:
The environment’s temperature and aesthetics will also influence the type of tree most suited for planting. Sidewalk trees are intended to give flavour to a roadway while respecting pre-existing design palettes and community character. For North American climates, the following trees are essential pathway trees:
Heartland catalpa (Catalpa speciosa):
This Northern catalpa selection has a compact upright growth habit and outperforms the species. It produces enormous dark green leaves in early July that turn yellow in the fall and massive clusters of fragrant purple and yellow speckled white blooms. Together with its endurance harsh urban circumstances, all of these characteristics make this an excellent choice for your planting strip or yard.
Hedge Maple (Acer campestre):
Hedge maple thrives in urban environments and is resistant to pests and diseases. Acer campestre is also resistant to dry soil, erosion, and air pollution. At maturity, Hedge Maple will reach a height of 35 feet and a spread of 30 feet. It has a low canopy and an average elevation of 4 feet from the ground; and should not be planted beneath power lines. The hedge maple’s modest height and vigorous growth make it a good street tree for residential buildings or maybe in central metropolitan settings. It does, however, grow a little too tall to be planted beneath some power lines. It’s also a good choice for a patio or yard shade tree as it casts much shade.
European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus.):
Carpinus betulus’s smooth, grey, rippling bark protects very hard, durable wood. The most common hornbeam cultivar offered is Fastigiated European hornbeam, which reaches 30 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. It is suitable for use as a hedge, screen, or windbreak because of its thick foliage and columnar or oval form. European hornbeam is typically favoured over American hornbeam because it grows quicker and has a more similar size.
Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba):
The Ginkgo biloba, often known as the maidenhair tree, grows well in various soils and is resistant to urban pressures. Only sterile men should be chosen. “Princeton Sentry” is a male type that is slender and columnar, making it ideal for street planting. This male Ginkgo cultivar is virtually pest-free, immune to storm damage, and casts mild shade because of its thin crown. The tree is readily transplanted and has a brilliant golden fall colour second to nothing, even in the South.
Eddie’s White Wonder Dogwood (Cornus Wonder.):
Flowering Eddies White Wonder The dogwood tree is a perennial tree that blooms in May with a mass of enormous, creamy white flower petals against lush green leaves that turns deep crimson with hints of pink in the autumn. The tree blooms with stunning white flowers that expand to be more than four inches in diameter in the spring. This remarkable combination of our native Western dogwood and the eastern North American dogwood has big white blooms in the spring. It has a beautiful crimson fall hue.
Dura Heat river birch (Betula nigra):
This river birch variety is resistant to the bronze birch borer, making it an excellent substitute for birches that this bug has destroyed. It may reach a height of 40′ / 30′ and a width of more than 6 feet. It grows in a pyramidal, erect, and thick manner. In the fall, the glossy, deep green leaves become yellow. The peeling bark is a kaleidoscope of cream, orange, and pinkish-tan hues.
