Abstract

SYDNOR, T. DAVIS, 1987. Trees which have performed well in urban areas. Arbor Age 7(2): 12-16.

Urban sites are abnormal for most all plants. No plants require concrete to survive, but some will tolerate the conditions better than others. Urban sites are characterized by compacted soils, high light, high temperatures, channelized winds, restricted root zones, drought stress and chemical contamination. The wonder is that some plants can tolerate such conditions and survive for 20 years or more. However, a look at the problems will enable the designer to make a more reasoned choice when selecting a plant for a specific location. The following plants include trees which have grown well in urban areas, based on Ohio’s Shade Tree Evaluation Project and other professional experiences. The list is applicable in varying degrees to the rest of the country: red maple, river birch, hawthorns, green ash, sugar hackberry, ginkgo, skyline honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree, American sugargum, and southern magnolia.

• © 1988, International Society of Arboriculture. All rights reserved.