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Serious question about picking trees for new neighborhood lots | Arborists - Opinions Matter

Serious question about picking trees for new neighborhood lots

I keep hearing two different views on what trees to plant in those empty lots getting developed. One side says go for quick growers like silver maples or tulip poplars because they give shade and help with carbon fast, which is great for hitting green goals. The other side insists on slow native types like bur oaks or hickories, since they last longer and support more local animals without needing much water or spray. In my area, I've noticed the fast ones often get sick or drop big limbs after a few years, making a mess on streets. A guy I know in landscaping hates fixing the damage from weak wood. But the old native trees near the fire station have stood through storms for ages and still look good. Which approach makes more sense for these new spots, and have you dealt with this choice on jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

palmer.jana7mo ago

Why do people still go for those fast growers when they always cause trouble? I watched a new silver maple split down the middle in a light wind last spring, it looked awful. Builders just want that instant green look and never think about the giant cleanup later.

amy_cooper466mo ago

Totally get the frustration with builders. My neighbor's new place had three of those skinny 'columnar' trees out front that the sales brochure promised were 'low maintenance'. Two snapped at the base after the first real ice storm, and the third just looks sad. They were basically expensive sticks stuck in the ground for a photo. It feels like a short cut that costs everyone more in the long run.

richard_ross7mo ago

Oh come on, is this really a big puzzle? Quick trees make a fast mess, and slow trees take forever to do anything. That silver maple will shade your driveway in five years and then drop a branch through your roof in ten. The bur oak your great-grandkid might enjoy. Most new lots just get whatever the builder bought on sale that week. They don't care about the next thirty years, just the curb appeal for the sale. The real choice is planting anything with a plan to actually keep it alive.