TREES NEW YORK RESOURCES
Listed on the following pages are some of the best species that can be used as street trees in specific situations. Particularly useful are species resistant to specific stress, such as wet and dry sites, alkaline soils, shade, and salt. This is certainly not a complete list, but it does include some tried and true species and cultivars for NYC
TABLE LEGEND
- Smaller than 30 feet in height.
- Larger than 30 feet in height.
- Trees with a narrow, upright habit are useful in places where there is little space between the curb and the buildings.
- Indicated by puddles of water standing in the tree pit 24 hours after a rainfall.
- Soils with large amounts of sand and/or gravel mixed in them or buried beneath them makes them excessively well-drained, predisposing trees to drought stress. A small soil volume and/or large amounts of pavement can also create drought-like conditions.
- Soils with large amounts of mortar rubble tend to be alkaline. It is best to test the soil pH to determine whether it is alkaline.
- Such as in the shade of tall buildings.
- Rocksalt used to de-ice roadways and walkways in winter can wash into the tree’s root zone and cause damage to sensitive species. Plant only salt resistant tree species.
SMALL TREES (1)
| SPECIES |
COLUMNAR HABIT (3) | FLOWERS | FALL
COLOR |
WET
SITES (4) |
DRY
SITES (5) |
ALKALINE SOILS (6) |
SHADE (7) | SALT (8) |
| Acer
beugeranum Trident Maple |
. |
. |
* |
. |
* |
. |
. |
. |
| Acer
campestre Hedge Maple |
* |
. |
. |
. |
* |
* |
. |
* |
| Acer
ginnala 'Flame' Flame Amur Maple |
. |
. |
* |
. |
* |
* |
. |
. |
| Acer
platanoides 'Globosum' Globose Norway Maple |
. |
. |
. |
. |
* |
* |
. |
* |
| Acer
tataricum Tatarian Maple |
. |
. |
* |
. |
* |
* |
. |
. |
| Carnipus
betulus 'Fastigata' Upright European Hornbeam |
* |
. |
. |
. |
. |
* |
. |
. |
| Cornus
mas Cornelian Cherry |
. |
* |
. |
. |
. |
* |
. |
. |
| Crataegus
viridis 'Winter King' Winter King Hawthorn |
. |
* |
. |
. |
* |
* |
. |
. |
| SPECIES |
COLUMNAR HABIT (3) | FLOWERS | FALL
COLOR |
WET
SITES (4) |
DRY
SITES (5) |
ALKALINE SOILS (6) |
SHADE (7) | SALT (8) |
| Koelreuteria
paniculata Golden Raintree |
. |
* |
. |
. |
* |
* |
. |
* |
| Malus
'Snowdrift ', 'Centurion', 'Sugar Tyme' Crabapple |
. |
* |
. |
. |
* |
* |
. |
. |
| Ostrya
virginiana Hop Hornbeam |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
* |
. |
| Prunus
'Accolade' Accolade Flowering Cherry |
. |
* |
. |
. |
. |
* |
. |
. |
| Pyrus
calleryana 'Aristocrat', 'Redspire' Callery Pear |
. |
* |
* |
. |
* |
* |
. |
* |
| P.c.
'Whitehouse' Upright Callery Pear |
* |
* |
* |
. |
* * * * |
* |
. |
* |
| Styrax
spp. Snowbell |
. |
* |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
| Syringa
reticulata Ivory Silk', 'Summer Snow' Japanese Tree Lilac |
. |
* |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
MEDIUM TO LARGE TREES (2)
| SPECIES |
COLUMNAR HABIT (3) | FLOWERS | FALL
COLOR |
WET
SITES (4) |
DRY
SITES (5) |
ALKALINE SOILS (6) |
SHADE (7) | SALT (8) |
| Acer
platanoides 'Cleveland', 'Columnare' Cleveland and Columnar Norway Maple |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| Acer
pseudoplatanus Sycamore Maple |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| Aesculus
x carnea 'Briotii' Ruby Red Horsechestnut |
· |
* |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
| Alnus
glutinosa Black Alder |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
* |
* |
| Celtis
occidentalis 'Prarie Pride' Prarie Pride Hackberry |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
| Corylus
collurna Turkish Hazelnut |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
| Eucommia
ulmoides Hardy Rubber Tree |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
| Fraxinus
pennsylvanica 'Summit' Summit Green Ash |
· |
· |
* |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| SPECIES |
COLUMNAR HABIT (3) | FLOWERS | FALL
COLOR |
WET
SITES (4) |
DRY
SITES (5) |
ALKALINE SOILS (6) |
SHADE (7) | SALT (8) |
| Ginkgo
biloba - males only Maidenhair Tree |
· |
· |
* |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| G.b.
'Princeton Sentry' Princeton Sentry M.T. |
* |
· |
* |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| Gleditsia
triacanthos 'Majestic', 'Shademaster' Honeylocust |
* |
· |
* |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| Gymnocladus
dioicus Kentucky Coffeetree |
* |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
| Liquidambar
styraciflua Sweet Gum |
* |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
· |
· |
| Maclura
pomifera - males only Osage Orange |
* |
· |
· |
* |
* |
* |
· |
· |
| Nyssa
sylvatica. Sour Gum |
* |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
· |
· |
| Platanus
x acerfolia 'Bloodgood, and 'Liberty' London Planetree |
* |
· |
· |
* |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| SPECIES |
COLUMNAR HABIT (3) | FLOWERS | FALL
COLOR |
WET
SITES (4) |
DRY
SITES (5) |
ALKALINE SOILS (6) |
SHADE (7) | SALT (8) |
| Quercus
acutissima Sawtooth Oak |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
· |
| Quercus
palustris Pin Oak |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
· |
| Quercus
phellos Willow Oak |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
· |
| Quercus
robur English Oak |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| Q.r.
'Fastigata' Upright English Oak |
* |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| Quercus
rubra Red Oak |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| SPECIES |
COLUMNAR HABIT (3) | FLOWERS | FALL
COLOR |
WET
SITES (4) |
DRY
SITES (5) |
ALKALINE SOILS (6) |
SHADE (7) | SALT (8) |
| Styphnolobium
japonicum 'Regent' Regent Chinese Scholar Tree |
· |
* |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
* |
| Taxodium
distichum Bald Cypress |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
· |
* |
| Tilia
tomentosa -'Sterling' Sterling Silver Linden |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
| Tilia
spp. Lindens |
· |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
· |
· |
| Ulmus
parvifolia Chinese Elm |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
| Zelkova
serrata Japanese Zelkova |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |
| Liquidambar
styraciflua Sweet Gum |
· |
· |
· |
· |
* |
* |
· |
· |