Choosing the Right Street Trees

Avoid the above, and put some thought into the tree you choose.

Leafy suburbs are often the richest, most expensive real-estate. The trees planted 50 years ago are not the same trees planted today. Poplars, plane trees and jacarandas are no longer part of the modern street tree menu. Good street trees make a lot of sense, so what makes a good street tree and what are some of the modern popular trees?

A decent street tree has one strong prominent straight trunk that has its branches spread relatively evenly above head height. It is drought tolerant, neat and tidy, and tolerant of pruning. Safety is another factor to consider when choosing a street tree. You do not want a tree regularly dropping branches, twigs, fruits or bark, or even too many leaves on the street below. The root system needs to be safe and not cause the sidewalk to buckle. It should also not have invasive suckers. Height is important, as often shorter trees are needed for under overhead wires.

A good uniform planting of street trees helps create a pleasing view. Selected varieties of trees perform this task far better than seed grown trees. Shade should also be offered by the tree.

Below, you will find a variety of trees to help select good uniform varieties that will stand the test of time.

Image CC BY SA License. ‘Fallen Eucalyptus’ by Aaron McBride, flic.kr/p/4hsGT6.
License at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0.