Information on tolerance to stresses 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 Minimum zone hardiness 2 Demonstrated tolerance to urban stresses 4,5 Tolerance to soil texture conditions (C=coars, M=medium, F=fine) 3 Salt tolerance2,3 Stress tolerance (A=anaerobic, L=alkali, V=vehicle exhaust, D=drought)3
Acer x freemanii2 Freeman maple 4 Yes
Acer rubrum 2 Red maple 3b Yes CMF No ALD
Acer saccharinum1,2 Silver maple 3b Yes CMF Limited AL
Acer saccharum1,2 Sugar maple 3b CM No LD
Alnus glutinosa 2 European alder 4a CMF Yes D
Alnus incana ssp. rugosa 1,2 Speckled alder 3 CMF A
Amelanchier spp. 2 Juneberry/serviceberry 3b CMF No L
Betula nigra 'Cully' & 'BNMFT'1,2 Heritage and Dura-Heat river birch 4a Yes CMF No A
Betula populifolia2 Gray birch 3 CMF Limited LD
Carpinus betulus2 European hornbeam 4b Yes CM No
Carpinus caroliniana 2 American hornbeam 3b CM No
Carya ovata 2 Shagbark hickory 3 CMF Limited L
Catalpa speciosa 2 Narthern catalpa 4a Yes CM Limited D
Celtis occidentalis 2 Common hackberry 2a Yes CMF Limited ALD
Cercis canadensis 2 Eastern redbud 4b MF Limited D
Cladrastis kentukea 2 Yellowood, Kentucky yellowood 4b CM No L
Crataegus crus-galli var. inermis 2 Thornless cockspur hawthorn 4a Yes CMF Yes LD
Crataegus phaenopyrum 2 Washington hawthorn 4b Yes MF Limited D
Fraxinus americana 2 White ash 4a CM Yes L
Fraxinus Manchurian manchrian ash 2b CM L
Fraxinus nigra 1 Black ash 3 CM No L
Fraxinus pennsylvanica 1,2 Green ash 2 Yes CMF Yes ALD
Gingko biloba 2 Gingko – male only 4b Yes CM Yes
Gleditsia tricanthos var. inermis 2 Thornless common honeylocust 3b Yes MF Yes LD
Gymnocladus dioicus 2 Kentucky coffeetree 4a CMF Limited D
Larix decidua 3 European larch 3 CM No
Larix laricina 1 Tamarack 1 CM No
Maackia amurensis 2 Amur maackia 4a Yes AD
Malus spp. 2 Crabapple spp. 4 CM Yes LD
Ostrya virginiana 2 American hophornbeam, ironwood 3b CMF No LD
Phellodendron amurense 2 Amur corktree 4a ALD
Populus grandidentata Michx. 2 Bigtooth aspen 1 CM Limited L
Populus deltoides 1,2 Eastern cottonwood 3 CMF Limited ALD
Populus tremuloides 1,1 Quaking aspen 1 CMF Limited L
Prunus sargentii 2 Sargent cherry 4b Yes CM Yes
Prunus virginiana 2 Chokecherry 2 CMF Limited ALD
Pyrus fauriei 'Westwood' 2 Korean SunTM pear 4 Yes CMF Limited D
Pyrus ussuriensis 2 Ussurian pear, Chinese pear 4 Yes M No D
Quercus bicolor 2 Swamp white oak 4 Yes CMF No A
Quercus macropcarpa 2 Bur oak 3a Yes CMF No LD
Quercus rubra 2 Red oak 3b Yes CMF Yes
Robinia pseudoacacia 2 Black locust, false acacia, robinia 4 CMF Yes LD
Salix nigra 1 Black willow 3 CMF No A
Salix babylonica Weeping or Babylon willow 2 CMF Yes
Sorbus americana 3 American mountainash 4 CMF No
Sorbus alnifolia 2 Korean mountainash 4b M
Sorbus x hybrida, Sorbus x thuringiaca 2 Oak-leaf mountainash 3b
Syringa reticulata2 Japanese tree lilac 3a Yes
Taxodium distichum 2 Common baldcypress 4 Yes CMF Yes A
Tilia americana 2 Basswood 3a Yes CM No
Tilia cordata 2 Littleleaf linden 4 Yes CM No D
Tilia x euchlora 2 Crimean linden, Caucasian lime 4 Yes M No
Ulmus x species2 Elm hybrids 3b Yes CMF Yes

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 Does not consider tolerance to salt, which can be an important urban stress. See column on salt tolerance.