| Zone 3 trees should be planted a distance of at least 35 feet from overhead power lines and structures. | |
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Pin Oak Quercus palustris (65') This plant has a pyramidal habit with pendulous lower branches when young, becoming upright oval with age. Pin oak is susceptible to iron chlorosis if improper seed sources are used. Ohio adapted seed sources are preferred. Lower branches will trail the ground, making an excellent large screen. This same habit may be undesirable if the screening results in hiding street and traffic signs. Service life is 30-plus years for adapted seed sources. |
Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra (60') This plant has an upright oval habit of growth. It does not have the drooping lower branches characteristic of pin oak. There is less concern over seed source as this plant is somewhat less susceptible to the alkaline soil-induced iron chlorosis, which causes serious problems for pin oak. This oak grows rapidly once established. Red oak is stress-tolerant. Service life is 30-plus years. |
Baldcypress Taxodium distichum (50') Baldcypress is a deciduous conifer and has a conifer-like habit of growth. The growth habit is extremely pyramidal until the tree reaches 12 inches in trunk diameter. Only in moist sites does this tree have the characteristic cypress knees. This plant can survive in sidewalk cuts and is reasonably pest-free under urban situations. Service life is 30-plus years. |
Silver Linden Tilia tomentosa (60') This is one of the best of the lindens and can have attractive yellow fall color in good years. The plant is upright oval in habit and has extremely dark green foliage with light undersides. As with the littleleaf linden, the ivory-colored flowers are extremely fragrant, borne in June and attractive to bees. This plant should be avoided by people with sensitivity to honey bee stings. Lindens are intolerant of mechanical injury and restricted soil spaces. Service life is 25 years. |
Hybrid Elms Ulmus sp. (60') A number of elms have been introduced in recent years. Many are resistant to elm yellows and Dutch elm disease. 'Homestead' and 'Pioneer' are recent introductions that have attractive green foliage but are still sensitive to feeding of elm leaf beetle. 'Prospector' and 'Frontier' were introduced in 1992 and are resistant to disease and the elm leaf beetle. The number of available cultivars here is increasing rapidly. These plants are extremely urban-tolerant and are deserving of use in our cities. Service life is 30-plus years. |
Other recommended large trees include the following: River Birch (Betula nigra): use in acid soils (50-60') European Beech (Fagus sylvatica): many foliage variants are available; slow-growing (60-80') Burr Oak (Quercus macrocarpa): alkaline soil-tolerant; stress-tolerant (60-80') Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardi): good red fall color; stress-tolerant (60-80') |