How to Choose a Street Tree

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Nothing brightens a front yard or even a city block like a row of street trees, all in bloom on a bright spring day or shading the sidewalk below in the summer's heat. Here are things to consider for this long-term investment.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Street Trees In Containers

Step1

Keep in mind the qualities you want in a street tree - basic beauty, shade, efficient air cleaning, and places for birds to nest. Trees can visually soften the sharp corners of urban architecture or gently shade a wide-open suburban road.

Step2

Learn about trees for your area that meet these criteria - your county extension service or urban forester probably has a list of recommended street trees for you to consider.

Step3

Know what your site can provide and what it cannot. Most sidewalk plantings offer plenty of sun and reflected heat, but greatly restrict root space. Find selections from among those labeled "small trees" that bloom reliably during your area's most stressful weather conditions.

Step4

Consider the mature sizes and shapes of street trees, their growth rates and habits, and the people and power lines that will share the space.

Step5

Look for street trees that will not demand annual pruning to keep in bounds, but can tolerate necessary trimming. Look for those that grow fast without suckering (sending up sprouts from their base) and that will grow upright to about 6 feet before spreading into a canopy.

Step6

Select from trees trained for a single trunk. Their root systems will be smaller than similar trees grown with multiple trunks, so they are better suited to conditions on the street.

Step7

Be certain the street trees you choose can tolerate the air pollution in your area. While all trees help us breathe better by cleaning the air around them, many rate high in pollution tolerance tests, which means they can do a better job.

Step8

After all your considerations, go with your heart - you want to pick a street tree that will welcome you home each day.

Tips & Warnings

Mulch around street trees to conserve precious water.
Underplant street trees with pennyroyal, an herb said to repel mosquitoes.
Look into street planters that can better drain the growing area for problem sites.