Tree species list - general information
General information for several trees that can be used in tree trenches/tree boxes. NOTE: this list is not exhaustive and could include dozens of additional species.
Link to this table
| Scientific name1,2,3,4 | Common name1,2,3,4 | Native or non-native5 | Street (ST) or landscape (L) tree6 | Deciduous or conifer | Sun condition (FS=full sun, PS = part sun, SS = full shade)2,3,4 | Forest structure position (U = understory, M-mid-story, O=overstory) | Growth rate to maturity (S = slow, M = moderate, R=rapid)3 | Single stem (S) or clumping (C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer x freemanii 2 | Freeman maple | Native hybrid | ST | D | FS, PS | O | R | S |
| Acer rubrum 2 | Red maple | Native, cultivars | ST | D | FS, PS | O | R | S |
| Acer saccharinum 1,2 | Silver maple | Native | ST | D | FS, PS | O | R | S |
| Acer saccharum 1,2 | Sugar maple | Native | ST | D | FS, PS | O | S | S |
| Alnus glutinosa 2 | European alder | Non-native | ST | D | FS, PS | U | R | C |
| Alnus incana ssp. rugosa 1,2 | Speckled alder | Native | ST | D | FS, PS | U | R | C |
| Amelanchier spp. 2 | Juneberry/serviceberry | Native, cultivars | ST | D | FS, PS, SS | U | M | SC |
| Betula nigra 'Cully' & ' BNMFT' 1,2 | Heritage and Dura-Heat river birch | Native, cultivars | ST | D | FS, PS | M, O | R | SC |
| Betula populifolia 2 | Gray birch | Native | ST | D | FS | M, O | R | SC |
| Carpinus betulus 2 | European hornbeam | Non-native | ST | D | FS, PS, SS | U, M | S | SC |
| Carpinus caroliniana 2 | American hornbeam | Native | ST | D | FS, PS, SS | U, M | S | SC |
| Carya ovata 2 | Shagbark hickory | Native | ST | D | FS, PS | O | S | S |
| Catalpa speciosa 2 | Narthern catalpa | Native | ST | D | FS | O | R | S |
| Celtis occidentalis 2 | Common hackberry | Native | ST | D | FS, PS | M, O | R | S |
| Cercis canadensis 2 | Eastern redbud | Native | L | D | FS, PS, SS | M, O | S | SC |
| Cladrastis kentukea 2 | Yellowood, Kentucky yellowood | Native (American E, SE, NE) | ST | D | FS | M, O | M | S |
| Crataegus crus-galli var. inermis 2 | Thornless cockspur hawthorn | Native cultivar | ST | D | FS | U, M | M | S |
| Crataegus phaenopyrum 2 | Washington hawthorn | Native (American E) | ST | D | FS | U, M | M | S |
| Fraxinus americana 2 | White ash | Native | ST | D | FS | U, M, O | M | S |
| Fraxinus Manchurian | manchrian ash | Non-native | ST | D | FS, PS | M, O | M | S |
| Fraxinus nigra 1 | Black ash | Native | ST | D | FS | U, M, O | S | S |
| Fraxinus pennsylvanica 1,2 | Green ash | Native | ST | D | FS | U, M, O | S | S |
| Gingko biloba 2 | Gingko – male only | Non-native | ST | D | FS | M, O | S | S |
| Gleditsia tricanthos var. inermis 2 | Thornless common honeylocust | Native | ST | D | FS, PS, SS | M, O | R | S |
| Gymnocladus dioicus 2 | Kentucky coffeetree | Native | ST | D | FS | M, O | S | S |
| Larix decidua 3 | European larch | Non-native | ST | D/C | FS | M, O | S | S |
| Larix laricina 1 | Tamarack | Native | ST | D/C | FS | O | M | S |
| Maackia amurensis 2 | Amur maackia | Non-native | ST | D | FS | M, O | S | |
| Malus spp. 2 | Crabapple spp. | Native, cultivars | ST | D | FS | U, M | M | S |
| Ostrya virginiana 2 | American hophornbeam, ironwood | Native | ST | D | FS, PS, SS | U, M | S | S |
| Phellodendron amurense 2 | Amur corktree | Non-native | ST | D | FS | S | ||
| Populus grandidentata Michx. 2 | Bigtooth aspen | Native | L | D | FS | O | R | S |
| Populus deltoides 1,2 | Eastern cottonwood | Native | L | D | FS | O | R | S |
| Populus tremuloides 1,1 | Quaking aspen | Native | L | D | FS | M, O | R | SC |
| Prunus sargentii 2 | Sargent cherry | Non-native | ST | D | FS | R | S | |
| Prunus virginiana 2 | Chokecherry | native | L | D | FS | U | R | SC |
| Pyrus fauriei 'Westwood' 2 | Korean SunTM pear | Non-native | ST | D | FS | M, O | M | S |
| Pyrus ussuriensis 2 | Ussurian pear, Chinese pear | Non-native | ST | D | FS | M, O | S | S |
| Quercus bicolor 2 | Swamp white oak | Native | ST | D | FS | O | R | S |
| Quercus macropcarpa 2 | Bur oak | Native | ST | D | FS | O | S | S |
| Quercus rubra 2 | Red oak | Native | L | D | FS | O | R | S |
| Robinia pseudoacacia 2 | Black locust, false acacia, robinia | Native | ST | D | FS, PS, SS | O | R | S |
| Salix nigra 1 | Black willow | Native | L | D | FS | U, M | R | C |
| Salix babylonica | Weeping or Babylon willow | non-native | ST | D | FS, PS | O, M | R | S |
| Sorbus americana 3 | American mountainash | Native | L | D | FS | M | M | S |
| Sorbus alnifolia 2 | Korean mountainash | Non-native | L | D | FS | M | M | S |
| Sorbus x hybrida, Sorbus x thuringiaca 2 | Oak-leaf mountainash | native hybrids (American NW) | L | D | FS, PS | M | S | |
| Syringa reticulata 2 | Japanese tree lilac | Native (American S) | ST | D | FS, PS | U, M | M | S |
| Taxodium distichum 2 | Common baldcypress | Native (American S) | ST | D | FS | O | M | S |
| Tilia americana 2 | Basswood | Native | ST | D | FS | O | M | S |
| Tilia cordata 2 | Littleleaf linden | Native | ST | D | FS | O | M | S |
| Tilia x euchlora 2 | Crimean linden, Caucasian lime | Native (Canada) | ST | D | FS | O | M | S |
| Ulmus x species 2 | Elm hybrids | Native hybrid, non-natives | ST | D | FS | O | R | S |
1 Shaw, D. and R. Schmidt. 2003. Plants for Stormwater Design: Species Selection for the Upper Midwest. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
2 Bassuk, N. et al. 2009. Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance. Urban Horticulture Institute, Dept of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
3 USDA NRCS Plants Database. www.usda.plants.gov
4 Dirr, M.. 1998. Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 5th Ed.. Timber Press, Inc. Portland, OR.
5 Please note: Many listed species include useful cultivars not specifically called out by Bassuk, N., et. al.
6 all trees work for landscape application