| Scientific Name | Common Name | Relative Tolerance
| Comments |
|---|
| Acer negundo | Boxelder | Good | Tolerant of some additional fill. Subdominant plants are a poor choice for retention. Plant adapts to high light and urban situations including low oxygen when given time. More alkaline-soil tolerant than most maples. Tolerant of restricted root zones. Tolerant of soil compaction. High light sensitive; initially results in canker susceptibility.
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| Acer platanoides | Norway Maple | Fair | Trees over 12-inch caliper are less adaptable than younger trees. Intolerant of restricted root zone. Tolerates wounding better than most maples.
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| Acer rubrum | Red Maple | Fair | Plant very intolerant of wounding. Requires acid soils. Intolerant of restricted root zones. Adapts to moist soils if given time. Male plants do not set fruit. High light sensitivity; results in canker susceptibility.
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| Acer saccharinum | Silver Maple | Good | Adapts to urban situations. More tolerant of wounding than red maple. Will tolerate some additional fill. Tolerant of restricted root zones. Adapts to moist soils if given time. High light sensitivity results in canker susceptibility.
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| Acer saccharum | Sugar Maple | Low | Intolerant of fill. Intolerant of increased light and restricted root space. Intolerant of restricted root zones. Sensitive to soil compaction.
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| Aesculus glabra | Ohio Buckeye | Low | Does not adapt to increasing light or increased stress. Sensitive to wounding. Will tolerate some fill.
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| Ailanthus altissima | Tree of Heaven | Good | Plant adapts readily to urban situations. Tolerates some fill. Tolerates restricted root zones. Root suckers often follow disturbance.
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| Amelanchier arborea | Downy Serviceberry | Good | Plant adapts to high light and urban situations including low oxygen. Adapts to restricted root space.
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| Amelanchier laevis | Allegheny Juneberry | Good | Adapts to urban situations including low soil oxygen. Adapts to restricted root space. Adapts to increased light if given time.
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| Betula nigra | River Birch | Good | An acid-soil-requiring plant. Plant is quite tolerant of urban stress. Some fill will be tolerated.
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| Betula papyrifera | Paper Birch | Good | This plant is sensitive to bronze birch borer, which is much more severe following any kind of increased stress. This plant will not tolerate increased heat and light. Especially sensitive to increased heat in the root zone. Mulching is advisable. Out of its natural range, it is intolerant of construction activity.
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| Betula populifolia | Gray Birch | Good | An acid-soil-requiring tree. Will tolerate sterile soils. Outside of its natural range, this plant is susceptible to bronze birch borer, which is often fatal. Urban or construction stresses will aggravate the insect problem.
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| Carpinus caroliniana | Hornbeam | Fair | This plant's service life in its natural range is short due to the presence of hornbeam borer. Increased stress and high light will result in more frequent and more severe hornbeam borer attacks. This plant can persist as a forest understory plant if minimum disturbance has been experienced. Excellent follow-up care is required for this plant to persist following construction activity. Once the plant is reestablished, it is stable.
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| Carya cordiformis | Bitternut Hickory | Good | Branching pattern generally is better than pecan; however, if the plant has codominant leaders, they can be structurally unstable. Plant will tolerate some fill. Adapts to increased light. Drought tolerant. Plant is wind-firm.
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| Carya glabra | Pignut Hickory | Good | Plant generally has a structurally stable branching pattern. Plant will tolerate some fill. Plant is wind-firm. Adapts to increased light. Drought tolerant.
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| Carya illinoensis | Pecan | Good | Open-grown plants often have codominant leaders, and the resulting vase-shaped habit of growth is structurally unstable. Will tolerate some fill. Adapts to increased light. Drought tolerant.
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| Carya ovata | Shagbark Hickory | Good | Plant will tolerate some fill. Plant normally has excellent branch structure. Growth rate is slow, and wound closure is subsequently slow. Plant is wind-firm. Adapts to increased light. Drought tolerant.
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| Carya tomentosa | Mockernut Hickory | Good | Tolerates some fill. Plant is wind-firm. Adapts to increased light. Drought tolerant.
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| Catalpa speciosa | Northern Catalpa | Good | Tree adapts easily to urban conditions. Tree is tolerant of wounding. Wood very resistant to decay. Tolerates disturbance.
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| Celtis occidentalis | Hackberry | Good | Tolerant of urban conditions and restricted root space. Tolerant of alkaline soils. Tolerant of urban sites. Tolerates some fill. Adapts to increased light. Drought tolerant. Intolerant of impounded water.
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| Cercis canadensis | Redbud | Fair | Plant adapts to calcareous soils. Intolerant of impounded water. Plant will not adapt to high or reflected light as a single plant.
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| Cornus florida | Flowering Dogwood | Low | Forest understory plant. Does not adapt readily to removal of the tree canopy. Intolerant of disturbance. Increased dogwood borer activity follows increased light or wounding. Intolerant of impounded water.
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| Crataegus crus-galli | Cockspur Thorn | Good | Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Sensitive to wind-throw if the plant is limbed up. Intolerant of impounded water. Tolerates some disturbance. Trees often dangerously armed. Relatively salt tolerant.
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| Crataegus phaenopyrum | Washington Thorn | Good | Plant readily adapts to high light and urban stress. Intolerant of impounded water. Trees often dangerously armed. Plant highly susceptible to wind-throw. Tolerates some disturbance. Salt tolerant.
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| Crataegus punctata | Dotted Hawthorn | Good | Trees often dangerously armed. Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Plants subject to wind-throw. Tolerates disturbance. Intolerant of impounded water.
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| Diospyros virginiana | Persimmon | Good | Adapts readily to an urbanizing situation. Tolerates poor soils. Adapts to low-oxygen sites. Tolerant of wounding. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Fagus grandifolia | American Beech | Low | Protect the tree from construction activity under the dripline. Mulch over the root zone is highly desirable during and following construction. Tree is sensitive to increased light following removal of surrounding forest. Major branches are high-light sensitive, which initially results in canker susceptibility. Thin bark makes this tree sensitive to wounding. A poor wound response makes this tree vulnerable to decay. Intolerant of impounded water. Intolerant of fill.
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| Fraxinus americana | White Ash | Fair | Does not adapt to changes in moisture levels, resulting in canker susceptibility. Either excess or reduced moisture will cause problems. Decline occurs over time. This tree is dangerous as a declining tree because it tends to self-prune, and dead branches can fail without warning.
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| Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Green Ash | Good | May require protection from borers during re-establishment period. Adapts to low-oxygen environ-ments. Plant has a good wound response. Tolerates some fill and restricted root zone. This tree is dangerous as a declining tree because it tends to self-prune, and dead branches can fail without warning. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Fraxinus quadrangulata | Blue Ash | Good | Plant has good wound response and adapts to an urbanizing situation. Decline occurs over time. Alkaline-soil tolerant. Drought tolerant. This tree is dangerous as a declining tree because it tends to self-prune, and dead branches can fail without warning.
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| Ginkgo biloba | Ginkgo | Good | Tolerant of urban conditions. Reestablishment period can be protracted. Tolerates restricted root space. Good wound response. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Gleditsia triacanthos | Honeylocust | Good | Seedling-grown trees often dangerously armed. Plants will adapt to high light in urban situations. Plant sensitive to wounding when young, but somewhat resistant as an older plant. Tolerates disturbance. Tolerates wounding.
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| Gymnocladus dioica | Kentucky Coffeetree | Good | Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Tough bark is resistant to mechanical injury. Tolerates disturbance. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Ilex opaca | American Holly | Good | Plant adapts readily to urban situations. Tolerates restricted root zone. Tolerates some fill. Bark is thin. Tolerates wounding. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Juglans nigra | Black Walnut | Good | Plant requires good soil conditions in order to perform. Under poor conditions, this plant is severely stunted. Tree has a tendency to defoliate in August under Ohio conditions. Fruit is a serious litter problem. Tolerates disturbance in good sites.
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| Juniperus virginiana | Eastern Redcedar | Good | Will survive in very low-nutrition soils. Tolerates urban conditions. Salt intolerant. Tolerant of wounding.
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| Liquidambar styraciflua | Sweetgum | Good | Plant can adapt to a low-oxygen environment and restricted root space. Reestablishment period can be protracted. Plant can adapt to high-light situations. Plants can tolerate some fill.
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| Liriodendron tulipifera | Yellow-Poplar (Tuliptree) | Fair | The tree is sensitive to wounding but tolerant of soil compaction. Plant intolerant of sterile soil conditions. Drought sensitive. This tree is found in moist, well-drained sites so altered drainage patterns can be a problem.
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| Maclura pomifera | Osage-Orange | Good | Very tolerant of urban conditions. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerant of high light. Tolerant of alkaline soil conditions. Will adapt to low-oxygen environments. This tree is a tough survivor. Tolerates mechanical damage. Tolerates some fill. Male plants do not set fruit. May be dangerously armed.
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| Magnolia grandiflora | Southern Magnolia | Good | Tolerant of urban conditions. Will adapt to low-oxygen environment. Intolerant of wounding. Plant is often left foliaged to the ground. Tolerates soil compaction. Requires acid soil. High light sensitive, initially resulting in canker susceptibility but adapts given time.
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| Magnolia virginiana | Sweet Bay Magnolia | Good | Will adapt to low-oxygen environments. Urban tolerant. Acid-soil-requiring plant. High light sensitive, initially resulting in canker susceptibility. Intolerant of wounding.
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| Malus coronaria | Sweet Crab | Good | Will adapt to urban situations and high light. Plant is disease prone. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill. Tough survivor under urban situations.
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| Malus ioensis | Prairie Crab | Good | Disease-prone plant which adapts to high light and urban conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Drought tolerant.
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| Malus pumila | Apple | Good | Adaptable to high light in urban situations. May be disease prone. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill. Fruit is a litter problem.
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| Morus alba | White Mulberry | Good | Urban tolerant. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerates some fill. Tolerates high reflected light. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Morus rubra | Red Mulberry | Good | Urban tolerant. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerant of high reflected light. Tolerates some fill. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Nyssa sylvatica | Blackgum | Good | Adapts to urban situations. Acid-soil-requiring plant. Will adapt to low-oxygen sites. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Ostrya virginiana | Hophornbeam | Fair | This plant's life expectancy, particularly in the southern part of its range, is short due to hornbeam borer. The tendency of this animal to attack stressed plants normally results in the loss of this plant following construction activity. This plant will persist as a forest understory plant if minimum disturbance and excellent follow-up care have been experienced. Intolerant of increased light.
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| Oxydendrum arboreum | Sourwood | Fair | Acid-soil-requiring plant. Wind-firm. Tolerates increased light.
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| Paulownia tomentosa | Royal Paulownia | Good | Plant adapts to urban situations readily. Tolerates disturbance. Sensitive to cold below -10 degrees F. Tolerates wounding.
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| Picea abies | Norway Spruce | Good | Loss of this plant in the landscape is often due to wind-throw. Raising the lower limbs will increase the sail effect and thus the tendency to wind-throw. Intolerant of excessive root loss. Tolerant of urban conditions. Tolerates wounding.
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| Picea pungens | Blue Spruce | Good | This plant is often lost due to wind-throw in the landscape. Anything that will increase wind and increase the sail will likely result in greater wind instability. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerant of urban conditions. Relatively salt tolerant. |
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| Pinus banksiana | Jack Pine | Good | A tough survivor. Following construction it is often removed because the plant is not terribly attractive. Tolerant of poor soil. Tolerates some fill in sandy soils. Tolerates wounding. Native in sandy soils. Acid-soil-requiring plant. Heat sensitive. Intolerant of excess moisture.
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| Pinus echinata | Shortleaf Pine | Good | Acid-soil-requiring pine. Tolerant of urban conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill. Intolerant of excess moisture. Engraver-beetle sensitive following construction, especially during drought years.
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| Pinus nigra | Austrian Pine | Good | Will tolerate some fill. Will tolerate increased light and heat loads under Ohio conditions. Engraver-beetle sensitive following construction, especially during drought years. Pine-tip blight is potentially fatal, but the incidence of this disease may be reduced under urban conditions. Tolerates wounding. Tolerates some salt.
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| Pinus resinosa | Red Pine | Good | Not tolerant of increased heat loads. Tolerant of wounding. Intolerant of excess moisture. Engraver-beetle sensitive following construction, especially during drought years. Sensitive to pine tip blight.
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| Pinus rigida | Pitch Pine | Good | Tolerates sterile soil conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates increased heat loads. Urban tolerant. Intolerant of excess moisture.
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| Pinus strobus | White Pine | Fair | Will do better with a mulched root zone. Intolerant of changes in soil moisture as this plant requires moist well-drained soils. Intolerant of excess moisture. Very intolerant of aerial salt.
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| Pinus sylvestris | Scotch Pine | Good | Intolerant of increased moisture levels. Engraver-beetle sensitive following construction, especially during drought years. This plant is one of the more difficult pines to transplant. Sensitive to many insects and diseases.
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| Pinus virginiana | Virginia Pine | Good | Intolerant of calcareous soils. Tolerant of very sterile soil conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill. Tolerates urban conditions. Intolerant of excess moisture.
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| Platanus occidentalis | Sycamore | Good | Plant is tolerant of urban stress. There is a natural tendency to self-prune. Declining trees are dangerous when situated in urban sites. Plant adapts to low-oxygen sites. Large size is a concern in urban area. Tolerates wounding.
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| Populus deltoides | Eastern Cottonwood | Good | Tolerates urban conditions. Tolerates some fill. This plant's tremendous size can be a concern in urban areas. Tolerates disturbance well. Adapts to moist soil conditions if given time. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Populus grandidentata | Bigtooth Aspen | Low | In the southern part of this plant's range, such as Ohio, increased light and soil temperatures can be fatal. Tolerant of poor soils. Tolerates disturbance within its range.
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| Prunus serotina | Wild Black Cherry | Low | Very young plants seem to adapt to altered environment. Older plants often decline over time following any disturbance. Intolerant of wounding. Tolerates poor soils.
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| Quercus alba | White Oak | Good | Thick bark provides some protection against mechanical damage. In its native range this plant is frequently one of the more common survivors following construction activity. Slight increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity.
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| Quercus bicolor | Swamp White Oak | Good | Alkaline-soil tolerant. Can adapt to low-oxygen sites. Will tolerate some fill. Slight increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity. Tolerant of mechanical damage.
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| Quercus coccinea | Scarlet Oak | Fair | Less adaptable to low-oxygen environment than most oaks. Often found in poor soils. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity. Shorter lived than oaks in the white oak group.
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| Quercus imbricaria | Shingle Oak | Good | Plant is adapted to acid or neutral soils. Shorter lived than the white oak group. Plant is urban tolerant. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity.
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| Quercus macrocarpa | Bur Oak | Good | Thick bark provides protection from fire and mechanical damage. An alkaline-soil tolerant oak. Can adapt to low-oxygen sites and tolerates some fill.
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| Quercus montana | Chestnut Oak | Good | Often found in shallow, rocky soils where any disturbance of the site can result in the loss of the plant. In good sites the plant is quite tolerant of disturbance. This tree's thick bark provides some protection against mechanical damage. Intolerant of impounded water. Slight increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity.
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| Quercus muehlenbergii | Chinquapin Oak | Good | An alkaline-soil tolerant oak. Tolerates disturbance. This plant tends to have an excellent branching pattern. Adapts to an urban site. Slight increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity.
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| Quercus nigra | Water Oak | Good | Plant adapts to a lower-oxygen situation better than many oaks. Adapts readily to urban situations. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerates some fill. Requires acid to neutral soils. Cold sensitive below -10 degrees F.
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| Quercus palustris | Pin Oak | Good | Adaptable to low-oxygen environments. Requires acid to neutral soils. Plant is urban tolerant. Tolerates some fill. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity. Shorter lived than oaks in the white oak group.
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| Quercus phellos | Willow Oak | Good | An urban-tolerant species requiring acid soils. Tolerates some fill. Tolerant of disturbance. Shorter lived than oaks in the white oak group. Requires acid to neutral soils. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity. Cold sensitive below -10 degrees F.
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| Quercus rubra | Red Oak | Fair | Shorter lived and less tolerant of disturbance than the white oak group. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity. Urban tolerant. Requires acid to neutral soils.
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| Quercus shumardii | Shumard Oak | Good | Tolerant of disturbance. Will adapt to poor oxygen sites. Urban tolerant. Shorter lived than oaks in the white oak group. Requires acid to neutral soils. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity.
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| Quercus stellata | Post Oak | Good | Tolerant of poor soils. Tolerant of urban conditions. Thick bark provides some protection from mechanical injury. Intolerant of impounded water.
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| Quercus velutina | Black Oak | Fair | Less tolerant of compaction than many other oaks. Shorter lived than oaks in the white oak group. Intolerant of impounded water. Requires acid to neutral soils. Moderate increase in sensitivity to the two-lined chestnut borer following construction activity.
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| Rhus typhina | Staghorn Sumac | Good | Plant readily regenerates from root suckers forming large colonies after a disturbance. Older plants often lost.
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| Robinia pseudo-acacia | Black Locust | Good | A high population of this tree in an area results in sensitivity to black locust borer damage or death. Urban tolerant. Tolerates some fill. Intolerant of impounded water.
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| Salix babylonica | Weeping Willow | Fair | Disturbance can predispose this plant to cankering, which can cause significant injury and/or death. Average plant is relatively short lived but many old specimens are known. Will tolerate some fill. Tolerates some water impoundment.
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| Salix nigra | Black Willow | Good | Wetland species. Tolerant of low-oxygen levels. Poor wound response can result in hollows in the main stem and thus structural instability. Will tolerate some fill. Disturbance can predispose this plant to cankering, which can cause significant injury and/or death
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| Sassafras albidum | Sassafras | Good | Plant regenerates from root suckers. Root-sucker generated plants can be killed with minimal root disturbance due to the root distribution pattern. Plant tolerant of sterile soils. Male plants do not set fruit.
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| Thuja occidentalis | Arborvitae | Good | Wetland species. Tolerates urban conditions. Tolerates excess moisture if given time to adapt. Tolerates wounding. Often found on rock outcrops where root disturbance can be fatal. Tolerates some fill.
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| Tilia americana | Basswood | Low | Declines slowly over time. Considered by foresters as an indicator plant for environmental change. Mulching root zone will help to retain this plant. Intolerant of fill. Intolerant of wounding. Subject to wind damage when adjacent trees are removed.
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| Tsuga canadensis | Canadian Hemlock | Low | Intolerant of fill. Must be protected from soil compaction. Sensitive to increased soil temperatures and decreased soil moisture levels. Intolerant of excess moisture.
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| Ulmus americana | American Elm | Good | Adaptable species to disturbance. Very tolerant of urban conditions. Sensitive to Dutch elm disease and phloem necrosis, both of which are equally fatal. Will tolerate some fill. Tolerates restricted root space. Tolerates low-oxygen sites. Tolerates mechanical damage.
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| Viburnum lentago | Nannyberry | Good | A forest understory plant that will adapt readily to higher-light situations. More adaptable in low-oxygen situations than Viburnum prunifolium and suckers less also. This plant adapts readily to urban situations.
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| Viburnum prunifolium | Black Haw | Good | A forest understory plant that will adapt readily to higher-light situations. Adapts readily to urban situations. This plant does not tolerate impounded water. Suckers heavily following disturbance.
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