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
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.
Two recommended medium height trees (30-50’):
Fraxinus pennsylvanica 'Marshall’s Seedless'
Cercidiphyllum japonicum.
Taller trees, more than 50’:
Quercus rubra
Tilia cordata
Zelkova serrata
Gleditsia tricanthus inermis
Platanus ‘Bloodgood’ .
Google these Latin names and you will see pictures of the trees and also learn the common names.
You can also search PHS's Gold Medal Plants database for trees - take note of height at maturity.