What kinds of trees can I plant in the city?
I go to high school in Philadelphia and I plan to start a green club at my school. Since it's the city, I was wondering what kinds of trees are safe to plant without their roots ripping up the concrete.
Answer
If you are thinking of small trees (under 30’) a few good ideas are: Acer campestre, Carpinus caroliniana or Syringa reticulata. In all cases watch if you are planting under wires. The electric company will prune the tree harshly if the tree is growing into the wires. Acer campestre is a good tree for under wires. Medium height trees (30-50’) are: Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall’s Seedless or Cercidiphyllum japonicum. Taller trees, more than 50’ are: Quercus rubra, Tilia cordata, Zelkova serrata, Gleditsia tricanthus inermis, or Platanus ‘Bloodgood’ . Google these Latin names and you will see pictures of the trees and also learn the common names.