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