Ohio State University Research/Extension Bulletin

Ornamental Plants

Annual Reports and Research Summaries

Special Circular 152-96

The Response of Native and Naturalized Trees to Construction Activity

T. Davis Sydnor
Joseph F. Boggs
Mary Ann Rose

T. Davis Sydnor, Ohio State University School of Natural Resources/Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; Joseph F. Boggs, Ohio State University Extension-Hamilton County; and Mary Ann Rose, Ohio State University Horticulture and Crop Science/Ohio State University Extension/Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center

The American public has a love affair with trees. One manifestation of that love affair is the willingness of homeowners to pay 10 to 30 percent more for a wooded lot than a similar-sized lot in a similar subdivision lacking trees. The assumption by the general public is that trees are indestructible. Surprise, surprise!

Various tree species respond differently to construction. One sad situation occurred when a property owner bought a wooded lot and snaked the house among the trees. The trees were killed by the construction activity. The homeowner then had to pay to have the trees cabled down since the dead trees towered over the new residence. The homeowner ended up with a serpentine home on an open lot.

Trees, unlike animals, cannot move. As a consequence, a tree must adapt to the changes that occur during construction. Some trees are better at this than others.

The response of trees to construction activity is the focus of this article. The observations (Table 1) are based primarily on the experience of the primary author with trees in disturbed sites. This experience began while he was at Southside Nurseries (1958 to 1969) and continues through his 26 years in academics to date.

Observations are confined to native and naturalized trees since they are the ones likely to be found at new construction sites, and they are the plants that the new owner will likely want to retain.

A tree's environment may be altered greatly during construction. A look at the individual changes that may occur will help in understanding what we ask of trees from the time when the first shovel is turned in the subdivision to eight years or so after the completion of the last round of construction. Construction damage to trees may not be apparent to the homeowner for three to eight years after the damage was inflicted. This makes it difficult for the homeowner to relate cause and effect.

Altered Drainage Patterns

Placing sewers, streets, curbs, and gutters at a site will greatly alter drainage patterns. Water that once had a chance to soak in after a rain now is whisked into the storm sewer, bypassing the ground water system. Ground water resources for growing roots are the poorer. The soil dries out faster since less water is stored, and the effects of droughts are heightened. This effect is worse at the bottom of a hill where plants requiring moist but well drained soils are often found.

Debris in the Soil

In many cases, virtually anything and everything is buried at a construction site. Concrete spills, sheetrock, and plywood are examples of construction debris that cause disturbed soil profiles and alter soil moisture distribution patterns. In one example there was a site where plants had been failing for several years. A soil probe identified the problem -- an entire 4x8 sheet of plywood buried about one foot below the soil surface.

Decreased Grades

Reducing the grade around existing trees is as serious as increasing the grade. Remember that the majority of feeder roots are found in the top four inches of soil. Large portions of the feeder roots thus are lost by soil removal. Moreover, this situation results in an altered drainage pattern.

Disturbed Soil Profiles

Water does not move downward from a fine textured soil such as clay into a coarser textured soil such as a sand or gravel. Water remains in the fine textured soil at the interface of the soil types until the head pressure is sufficient to force the water into the coarser soil.

This is called a perched water table, and the impounded water can kill sensitive plants such as yews. This explains why adding gravel into the bottom of a planting hole will not increase drainage.

Impounded Water

Sometimes water is impounded, creating a boggy site from one that had been well drained. Many native trees will not tolerate poor drainage. Upland species are most vulnerable. Oxygen levels in the soil are reduced as water fills the pore spaces that formerly held oxygen. Carbon dioxide is retained as diffusion is reduced. The double whammy takes its toll.

Increased Competition

Often little thought is given to the effects of altering plant communities. For example, it is uncommon to see an attractive sugar maple growing in an attractive bluegrass lawn. Either the healthy sugar maple shades out the grass or the tree slowly declines due to competition from the lush highly competitive grass.

Allelopathy, the release by one plant of substances toxic to nearby plants, can also be a factor. Some allelopathic relationships, such as the effects of walnut on rose, are well known, but many are poorly understood.

Increased Grades

Builders are often faced with a disposal problem with the soil removed from digging the basement. The lowest cost solution is to spread the spoil from the basement over the existing soil. The spoil is often finer textured than the original soil, resulting in a disturbed soil profile.

Adding soil over the root zone of existing trees is problematic. As little as four inches of fill may kill a mature climax forest tree such as linden, sugar maple, and beech.

Increased Light

Another alteration of the suburban landscape relative to the woodland it replaces is increased light. Reduced numbers of trees and the resulting increase in reflected light contribute to a much higher light level.

Reflected light alone can double the incident light levels to which a plant is exposed. Thin barked trees such as beech seem particularly sensitive to this problem.

Increased Temperatures

The heat island effect of our cities is well known. Soil and air temperatures both rise in the city. Plants may be more sensitive to soil temperature changes since air temperatures normally fluctuate more.

Plants that are at the southern part of their natural range are most likely to be sensitive in this situation. Paper birch would be such a plant in Ohio.

Interrupted Nutrient Cycling

This is not a factor that is likely to have severe consequences itself, but it is one more stress with effects that are additive. Micronutrients are likely to be the ones that are found to be deficient. In a woodland situation, nutrients are recycled as foliage, branches, and stems decompose over time. Removal of leaves and other organic debris takes the nutrients they contain out of the system.

Modified Insect and Disease Complexes

A number of insects and diseases attack weakened hosts. The increased stress levels associated with urban sites often predispose the plant to attack.

Engraver beetles and metallic wood boring beetles are insects that are associated with increased stress levels. Nectria canker and cankerstain are diseases that are stress related.

Reduced Root Zones

Trenching, roads, and sidewalks all reduce the soil volume that is available for tree roots. A number of people are trying to evaluate the relationship between the size of a tree and its planting pit size. One estimate suggests that 225 square feet is needed to maintain a 10-inch tree in good condition. Think of the implications associated with trapping a tree in a 4x4 sidewalk cut. Is it any wonder that trees in urban areas have a reduced life expectancy?

Table 1. Observations on the performance and adaptability of various native and naturalized trees to construction activities in Ohio.

Scientific Name Tree Rating Comments

Acer negundo Box-Elder Good Tolerant of some additional fill. Will adapt to urban situations.

Acer rubrum Red Maple Fair Plant very intolerant of wounding. Requires acid to neutral soils.

Acer saccharinum Silver Maple Good Adapts to urban situations. More tolerant of wounding than red maple. Will tolerate some additional fill.

Acer saccharum Sugar Maple Low Intolerant of fill. Intolerant of increased light and restricted root space.

Aesculus glabra Ohio Buckeye Low Does not adapt to increasing light or increased stress. Sensitive to wounding. Will tolerate some fill.

Ailanthus altissima Tree-of-Heaven Good Plant adapts readily to urban situations.

Amelanchier arborea Downy Serviceberry Good Plant adapts to high light and urban situations including low oxygen. Adapts to restricted root space.

Amelanchier laevis Allegheny Juneberry Good Adapts to urban situations including low soil oxygen. Adapts to restricted root space. Adapts to increased light.

etula nigra River Birch Good An acid-soil-requiring plant. Plant is quite tolerant of urban stress. Some fill will be tolerated. Plant will tolerate urban conditions.

Betula papyrifera Paper Birch Good This plant is sensitive to bronze birch borer which is much more severe following any kind of increased stress load. This plant will not tolerate increased heat and light especially in the root zone. Mulching is advisable. Out of its natural range, it is intolerant of construction activity.

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 exacerbate this problem.

Carpinus caroliniana Hornbeam Fair This plant's service life in its natural range is short due to the presence of hornbeam borer. Increased stress will result in more frequent and more severe 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.

Carya cordiformis Bitternut Hickory Good Branching pattern generally better than pecan; however, if the plant has codominant leaders they can be structurally unstable. Plant will tolerate some fill.

Carya glabra Pignut Hickory Good Plant generally has a structurally stable branching pattern. Plant is tolerant of some fill. Plant is windfirm.

Carya illinoensis Pecan Good Open grown plants often have codominant leaders and a resulting vase-shaped habit of growth, which is structurally unstable. Will tolerate some fill.

Carya ovata Shagbark Hickory Good Plant will tolerate some fill. Plant normally has excellent branch structure. Growth rates and wound closure rates are slow. Plant is windfirm.

Carya tomentosa Mockernut Hickory Good Tolerates some fill. Plant is windfirm.

Catalpa speciosa Northern Catalpa Good Tree adapts easily to urban conditions. Tree tolerant of wounding. Wood very resistant to decay. Tolerates disturbance.

Celtis occidentalis Hackberry Good Tolerant of urban conditions and restricted root space. Tolerant of alkaline soils. Tolerant of urban sites. Tolerates some fill.

Cercis canadensis Redbud Fair Plant adapts to calcareous soils. Plant will not adapt to high or reflected light as a single plant.

Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood Low Forest understory plants do not adapt readily to removing the tree canopy from above them. Intolerant of disturbance.

Crataegus crus-galli Cockspur Thorn Good Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Sensitive to windthrow if the plant is limbed up. Tolerates some disturbance.

Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington Thorn Good Plant readily adapts to high light and urban stress. Plant highly susceptible to windthrow. Tolerates some disturbances.

Crataegus punctata Dotted Hawthorn Good Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Plants subject to windthrow. Tolerates disturbance.

Diospyros virginiana Persimmon Good Adapts readily to an urbanizing situation. Tolerates poor soils. Adapts to low oxygen sites.

Fagus grandifolia American Beech Low Protect the tree from construction activity under the dripline of the tree. Mulch over the root zone following construction is highly desirable. Tree is sensitive to increased light following removal of surrounding forest. Major branches are sensitive to sunscald following loss of surrounding trees. Thin bark makes this tree sensitive to wounding. A poor wound response makes this tree vulnerable to decay.

Fraxinus americana White Ash Fair Does not adapt to changes in moisture levels. Either excess or reduced moisture will cause problems. Decline occurs over time.

Fraxinus pennsylvanica Green Ash Good May require protection from borers during reestablishment period. Adapts to low oxygen environments. Plant has a good wound response. Tolerates some fill and restricted root zone.

Fraxinus quadrangulata Blue Ash Good Plant has good wound response and adapts to an urbanizing situation. Decline occurs over time.

Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo Good Tolerant of urban conditions. Reestablishment period can be protracted. Tolerates restricted root space.

Gleditsia triacanthos Honey-Locust Good Plants will adapt to high light in urban situations. Plant sensitive to wounding when young, but somewhat resistant as an older plant. Tolerates disturbance.

Gymnocladus dioica Kentucky Coffee-Tree Good Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Tough bark is resistant to mechanical injury. Tolerates disturbance.

Ilex opaca American Holly Good Plant adapts readily to urban situations. Tolerates restricted root zone. Tolerates some fill. Bark is thin. Acid soil requiring.

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.

Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar Good Will survive in very low nutrition soils. Tolerates urban conditions. Salt intolerant. Tolerant of wounding.

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. Plant can tolerate some fill.

Liriodendron tulipifera Tuliptree Fair The tree is sensitive to wounding, but tolerant of soil compaction. Plant intolerant of sterile soil conditions.

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.

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.

Magnolia virginiana Sweet Bay Magnolia Good Will adapt to low-oxygen environments. Urban tolerant. Intolerant of wounding.

Malus coronaria Sweet Crab Good Will adapt to urban situations and high light. Plant is disease prone to cosmetic diseases. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill.

Malus ioensis Prairie Crab Good Disease-prone plant which adapts to high light and urban conditions. Tolerant of wounding.

Malus pumila Apple Good Adaptable to high light in urban situations. May be disease prone. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill.

Morus alba White Mulberry Good Urban tolerant. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerates some fill.

Morus rubra Red Mulberry Good Urban tolerant. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerant of high reflected light. Tolerates some fill.

Nyssa sylvatica Black-Gum Good Adapts to urban situations. Acid-soil requiring plant. Will adapt to low-oxygen site.

Ostrya virginiana Hop-Hornbeam Fair This plant's life expectancy, particularly in the southern part of its range, is short due to hornbeam borer. The tendency of this pest to attack stressed plants normally results in the loss of this plant following construction activity. This plant will persist as a forest understory plant.

Oxydendron arboreum Sourwood Fair Acid-soil-requiring plant. Can adapt to low-oxygen sites.

Paulownia tomentosa Royal Paulownia Good Plant adapts to urban situations readily. Tolerates disturbance.

Picea abies Norway Spruce Good Loss of this plant in the landscape is often due to windthrow. Raising the lower limbs will increase the probability of this plant being lost. Intolerant of excessive root loss. Tolerant of urban conditions.

Picea pungens Blue Spruce Good This plant is often lost due to windthrow 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.

Pinus banksiana Jack Pine Good A tough survivor. Following construction, often removed because the plant is not terribly attractive. Tolerant of poor soil. Tolerates some fill in sandy soils.

Pinus echinata Shortleaf Pine Good Acid-soil-requiring pine. Tolerant of urban conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill.

Pinus nigra Austrian Pine Good Will tolerate some fill. Will tolerate increased light and heat loads under Ohio conditions. Pine tip blight is potentially fatal disease. Tolerates wounding.

Pinus resinosa Red Pine Good Not tolerant of increased heat loads. Tolerant of wounding.

Pinus rigida Pitch Pine Good Tolerates sterile soil conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates increased heat loads. Urban tolerant.

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.

Pinus sylvestris Scotch Pine Good Intolerant of increased moisture levels. Decreased moisture levels can increase insect sensitivity. This plant is one of the more difficult pines to transplant.

Pinus virginiana Virginia Pine Good Intolerant of calcareous soils. Tolerant of very sterile conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill. Tolerates urban conditions.

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.

Populus deltoides Eastern Cottonwood Good Tolerates urban conditions. Tolerates some fill. This plant's tremendous size can be a concern in urban areas.

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.

Prunus serotina Wild Blackcherry Low Very young plants seem to adapt to altered environment. Older plants often decline over time following any disturbance.

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.

Quercus bicolor Swamp White Oak Good Alkaline soil tolerant. Can adapt to low oxygen sites. Will tolerate some fill.

Quercus coccinea Scarlet Oak Fair Less adaptable to a low-oxygen environment than most oaks. Often found in poor soils.

Quercus imbricaria Shingle Oak Good Plant is adapted to acid or neutral soils. Shorter lived than the white oak group. Plant is urban tolerant.

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.

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.

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.

Quercus nigra Water Oak Good Plant adapts to lower-oxygen situations better than many oaks. Adapts readily to urban situations.

Quercus palustris Pin Oak Good Adaptable to low-oxygen environments. Requires acid to neutral soils. Plant is urban tolerant.

Quercus phellos Willow Oak Good An urban tolerant species requiring acid soils. Tolerates some fill.

Quercus rubra Red Oak Fair Shorter lived and less tolerant of disturbance than the white oak group. Urban tolerant.

Quercus shumardii Shumard Oak Good Tolerant. Will adapt to poor oxygen sites. Urban tolerant.

Quercus stellata Post Oak Good Tolerant of poor soils. Tolerant of urban conditions. Thick bark provides some protection from mechanical injury.

Quercus velutina Black Oak Fair Less tolerant of compaction than many other oaks. Shorter lived than oaks in the white oak group.

Rhus typhina Staghorn Sumac Good Plant readily regenerates from root suckers forming large colonies after a disturbance. Older plants often lost.

Robinia pseudo-acacia Black Locust Good A high population of this tree results in sensitivity to borer damage or death. Urban tolerant. Tolerates some fill.

Salix babylonica Weeping Willow Fair Disturbance can predispose this plant to cankering which can cause significant injury and/or death. The average plant is relatively short-lived but many old specimens are known. Will tolerate some fill. Spreads asexually.

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.

Sassafrass 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.

Thuja occidentalis Arborvitae Good 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.

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.

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.

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 fatal. Will tolerate some fill. Tolerates restricted root space. Tolerates low-oxygen sites. Tolerates mechanical damage.

Viburnum lentago Nannyberry Good More adaptable in low oxygen situations than Viburnum prunifolium. This plant adapts readily to urban damage.

Viburnum prunifolium Black-Haw Good A forest understory plant which will adapt readily to higher light situations. Adapts readily to urban situations.

Table 1. Observations on the performance and adaptability of various native and naturalized trees to construction activities in Ohio.
Scientific Name	Tree	Rating	Comments
Acer negundo	Box-Elder	Good	Tolerant of some additional fill. Will adapt to urban situations.
Acer rubrum	Red Maple	Fair	Plant very intolerant of wounding. Requires acid to neutral soils.
Acer saccharinum	Silver Maple	Good	Adapts to urban situations. More tolerant of wounding than red maple. Will tolerate some additional fill.
Acer saccharum	Sugar Maple	Low	Intolerant of fill. Intolerant of increased light and restricted root space.
Aesculus glabra	Ohio Buckeye	Low	Does not adapt to increasing light or increased stress. Sensitive to wounding. Will tolerate some fill.
Ailanthus altissima	Tree-of-Heaven	Good	Plant adapts readily to urban situations.
Amelanchier arborea	Downy Serviceberry	Good	Plant adapts to high light and urban situations including low oxygen. Adapts to restricted root space.
Amelanchier laevis	Allegheny Juneberry	Good	Adapts to urban situations including low soil oxygen. Adapts to restricted root space. Adapts to increased light.
etula nigra	River Birch	Good	An acid-soil-requiring plant. Plant is quite tolerant of urban stress. Some fill will be tolerated. Plant will tolerate urban conditions.
Betula papyrifera	Paper Birch	Good	This plant is sensitive to bronze birch borer which is much more severe following any kind of increased stress load. This plant will not tolerate increased heat and light especially in the root zone. Mulching is advisable. Out of its natural range, it is intolerant of construction activity.
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 exacerbate this problem.
Carpinus caroliniana	Hornbeam	Fair	This plant's service life in its natural range is short due to the presence of hornbeam borer. Increased stress will result in more frequent and more severe 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.
Carya cordiformis	Bitternut Hickory	Good	Branching pattern generally better than pecan; however, if the plant has codominant leaders they can be structurally unstable. Plant will tolerate some fill.
Carya glabra	Pignut Hickory	Good	Plant generally has a structurally stable branching pattern. Plant is tolerant of some fill. Plant is windfirm.
Carya illinoensis	Pecan	Good	Open grown plants often have codominant leaders and a resulting vase-shaped habit of growth, which is structurally unstable. Will tolerate some fill.
Carya ovata	Shagbark Hickory	Good	Plant will tolerate some fill. Plant normally has excellent branch structure. Growth rates and wound closure rates are slow. Plant is windfirm.
Carya tomentosa	Mockernut Hickory	Good	Tolerates some fill. Plant is windfirm.
Catalpa speciosa	Northern Catalpa	Good	Tree adapts easily to urban conditions. Tree tolerant of wounding. Wood very resistant to decay. Tolerates disturbance.
Celtis occidentalis	Hackberry	Good	Tolerant of urban conditions and restricted root space. Tolerant of alkaline soils. Tolerant of urban sites. Tolerates some fill.
Cercis canadensis	Redbud	Fair	Plant adapts to calcareous soils. Plant will not adapt to high or reflected light as a single plant.
Cornus florida	Flowering Dogwood	Low	Forest understory plants do not adapt readily to removing the tree canopy from above them. Intolerant of disturbance.
Crataegus crus-galli	Cockspur Thorn	Good	Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Sensitive to windthrow if the plant is limbed up. Tolerates some disturbance.
Crataegus phaenopyrum	Washington Thorn	Good	Plant readily adapts to high light and urban stress. Plant highly susceptible to windthrow. Tolerates some disturbances.
Crataegus punctata	Dotted Hawthorn	Good	Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Plants subject to windthrow. Tolerates disturbance.
Diospyros virginiana	Persimmon	Good	Adapts readily to an urbanizing situation. Tolerates poor soils. Adapts to low oxygen sites.
Fagus grandifolia	American Beech	Low	Protect the tree from construction activity under the dripline of the tree. Mulch over the root zone following construction is highly desirable. Tree is sensitive to increased light following removal of surrounding forest. Major branches are sensitive to sunscald following loss of surrounding trees. Thin bark makes this tree sensitive to wounding. A poor wound response makes this tree vulnerable to decay.
Fraxinus americana	White Ash	Fair	Does not adapt to changes in moisture levels. Either excess or reduced moisture will cause problems. Decline occurs over time.
Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green Ash	Good	May require protection from borers during reestablishment period. Adapts to low oxygen environments. Plant has a good wound response. Tolerates some fill and restricted root zone.
Fraxinus quadrangulata	Blue Ash	Good	Plant has good wound response and adapts to an urbanizing situation. Decline occurs over time.
Ginkgo biloba	Ginkgo	Good	Tolerant of urban conditions. Reestablishment period can be protracted. Tolerates restricted root space.
Gleditsia triacanthos	Honey-Locust	Good	Plants will adapt to high light in urban situations. Plant sensitive to wounding when young, but somewhat resistant as an older plant. Tolerates disturbance.
Gymnocladus dioica	Kentucky Coffee-Tree	Good	Plant adapts to high light and urban situations. Tough bark is resistant to mechanical injury. Tolerates disturbance.
Ilex opaca	American Holly	Good	Plant adapts readily to urban situations. Tolerates restricted root zone. Tolerates some fill. Bark is thin. Acid soil requiring.
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.
Juniperus virginiana	Eastern Red Cedar	Good	Will survive in very low nutrition soils. Tolerates urban conditions. Salt intolerant. Tolerant of wounding.
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. Plant can tolerate some fill.
Liriodendron tulipifera	Tuliptree	Fair	The tree is sensitive to wounding, but tolerant of soil compaction. Plant intolerant of sterile soil conditions.
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.
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.
Magnolia virginiana	Sweet Bay Magnolia	Good	Will adapt to low-oxygen environments. Urban tolerant. Intolerant of wounding.
Malus coronaria	Sweet Crab	Good	Will adapt to urban situations and high light. Plant is disease prone to cosmetic diseases. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill.
Malus ioensis	Prairie Crab	Good	Disease-prone plant which adapts to high light and urban conditions. Tolerant of wounding.
Malus pumila	Apple	Good	Adaptable to high light in urban situations. May be disease prone. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill.
Morus alba	White Mulberry	Good	Urban tolerant. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerates some fill.
Morus rubra	Red Mulberry	Good	Urban tolerant. Tolerant of disturbance. Tolerant of high reflected light. Tolerates some fill.
Nyssa sylvatica	Black-Gum	Good	Adapts to urban situations. Acid-soil requiring plant. Will adapt to low-oxygen site.
Ostrya virginiana	Hop-Hornbeam	Fair	This plant's life expectancy, particularly in the southern part of its range, is short due to hornbeam borer. The tendency of this pest to attack stressed plants normally results in the loss of this plant following construction activity. This plant will persist as a forest understory plant.
Oxydendron arboreum	Sourwood	Fair	Acid-soil-requiring plant. Can adapt to low-oxygen sites.
Paulownia tomentosa	Royal Paulownia	Good	Plant adapts to urban situations readily. Tolerates disturbance.
Picea abies	Norway Spruce	Good	Loss of this plant in the landscape is often due to windthrow. Raising the lower limbs will increase the probability of this plant being lost. Intolerant of excessive root loss. Tolerant of urban conditions.
Picea pungens	Blue Spruce	Good	This plant is often lost due to windthrow 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.
Pinus banksiana	Jack Pine	Good	A tough survivor. Following construction, often removed because the plant is not terribly attractive. Tolerant of poor soil. Tolerates some fill in sandy soils.
Pinus echinata	Shortleaf Pine	Good	Acid-soil-requiring pine. Tolerant of urban conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill.
Pinus nigra	Austrian Pine	Good	Will tolerate some fill. Will tolerate increased light and heat loads under Ohio conditions. Pine tip blight is potentially fatal disease. Tolerates wounding.
Pinus resinosa	Red Pine	Good	Not tolerant of increased heat loads. Tolerant of wounding.
Pinus rigida	Pitch Pine	Good	Tolerates sterile soil conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates increased heat loads. Urban tolerant.
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.
Pinus sylvestris	Scotch Pine	Good	Intolerant of increased moisture levels. Decreased moisture levels can increase insect sensitivity. This plant is one of the more difficult pines to transplant.
Pinus virginiana	Virginia Pine	Good	Intolerant of calcareous soils. Tolerant of very sterile conditions. Tolerant of wounding. Tolerates some fill. Tolerates urban conditions.
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.
Populus deltoides	Eastern Cottonwood	Good	Tolerates urban conditions. Tolerates some fill. This plant's tremendous size can be a concern in urban areas.
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.
Prunus serotina	Wild Blackcherry	Low	Very young plants seem to adapt to altered environment. Older plants often decline over time following any disturbance.
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.
Quercus bicolor	Swamp White Oak	Good	Alkaline soil tolerant. Can adapt to low oxygen sites. Will tolerate some fill.
Quercus coccinea	Scarlet Oak	Fair	Less adaptable to a low-oxygen environment than most oaks. Often found in poor soils.
Quercus imbricaria	Shingle Oak	Good	Plant is adapted to acid or neutral soils. Shorter lived than the white oak group. Plant is urban tolerant.
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.
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.
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.
Quercus nigra	Water Oak	Good	Plant adapts to lower-oxygen situations better than many oaks. Adapts readily to urban situations.
Quercus palustris	Pin Oak	Good	Adaptable to low-oxygen environments. Requires acid to neutral soils. Plant is urban tolerant.
Quercus phellos	Willow Oak	Good	An urban tolerant species requiring acid soils. Tolerates some fill.
Quercus rubra	Red Oak	Fair	Shorter lived and less tolerant of disturbance than the white oak group. Urban tolerant.
Quercus shumardii	Shumard Oak	Good	Tolerant. Will adapt to poor oxygen sites. Urban tolerant.
Quercus stellata	Post Oak	Good	Tolerant of poor soils. Tolerant of urban conditions. Thick bark provides some protection from mechanical injury.
Quercus velutina	Black Oak	Fair	Less tolerant of compaction than many other oaks. Shorter lived than oaks in the white oak group.
Rhus typhina	Staghorn Sumac	Good	Plant readily regenerates from root suckers forming large colonies after a disturbance. Older plants often lost.
Robinia pseudo-acacia	Black Locust	Good	A high population of this tree results in sensitivity to borer damage or death. Urban tolerant. Tolerates some fill.
Salix babylonica	Weeping Willow	Fair	Disturbance can predispose this plant to cankering which can cause significant injury and/or death. The average plant is relatively short-lived but many old specimens are known. Will tolerate some fill. Spreads asexually.
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.
Sassafrass 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.
Thuja occidentalis	Arborvitae	Good	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.
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.
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.
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 fatal. Will tolerate some fill. Tolerates restricted root space. Tolerates low-oxygen sites. Tolerates mechanical damage.
Viburnum lentago	Nannyberry	Good	More adaptable in low oxygen situations than Viburnum prunifolium. This plant adapts readily to urban damage.
Viburnum prunifolium	Black-Haw	Good	A forest understory plant which will adapt readily to higher light situations. Adapts readily to urban situations.

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