Re: Variegated Norway Maple and other street tree possibilities

I'm writing from Britian not the US, so things may be different for you, but I wouldn't choose Norway maple, especially the variegated ones - they almost always revert sooner or later, and the unvariegated parts need pruning out. If they're left the tree becomes lopsided. Hibberd (see below) does recommend Acer platanoides for streets, but I think the wood is sometimes a bit too brittle and the forks sometimes too tight.
As for sycamore, A. pseudoplatanus, here in Britain they seed madly, the seedlings come up in everybody's garden (and in woods and anywhere else that could do without them) and then they're almost unremovable. Most people think of them as a noxious weed. Otherwise they would be good street trees, and they are resistant to salt spray. If they're in a big wide parkland space, away from gardens, woods, and sensitive habitats, and they're allowed to get old and big, then they beome gorgeous trees full of character. If they're in a place that's so tough that no other trees will grow there, then great. But I think those are the only two places they belong here.

I have an American book on street tree planting, "The Simple Act of Planting a Tree" by TreePeople with Andy and Katie Lipkis, published by Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. in 1990, ISBN 0 87477 602 3. (I'm offline as I write so I haven't checked for it on Amazon!) It's aimed at community groups and doesn't give tree selection advice, but it's got some good info in it.
I still haven't found a really good book on street trees - a lot of the books I've read sooner or later have some daft comment or something just plain wrong. The best advice for British town trees I've read is "Urban Forestry Practice", Forestry Commission handbook 5, edited by BG Hibberd and published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) in 1989, ISBN 0 11 710273 3. There's also some useful information in the appendix of David Lonsdale's "Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management", HMSO 1999, ISBN 0002120356.

Malus can be good (while Prunus are usually disastrous - long thick roots too near the surface) - Hibberd only recommends the fastigiate M. tschonoskii, though.
I've seen Ginkgo work, and Hibberd recommends it. You'd need G. biloba 'Fastigiata' - the straight species is very sprawling in shape and can get very big.
Here in Britain beeches don't make good street trees - they prefer moister conditions in woods. The purple-leaved varieties do do better than the green ones, though, from my observations. But beeches are usually too big - most streets don't have the space. Or do you mean Nothofagus rather than Fagus?
Birches often do better than you'd expect, but I'm still not convinced they're good street trees. Hibberd recommends silver birch, B. pendula.

If you had the space I'd still recommend the old stalwart, London plane, Platanus x acerifolia. Still beautiful after all these years, and tough as old boots.
How about Alnus cordata? Plain green blob, but elegant with it. Pyrus communis or P. calleryana? Pears are beautiful and elegant and look venerable. Tilia oliveri? Limes generally are beautiful (I wonder if they were one of the inspirations for Tolkien's mallorns) though people worry about aphids, honey dew and sooty mould, or narcotically drugged bees. I still haven't seen T. oliveri, but the wonderful Hugh Johnson mentions it in his Encyclopaedia of Trees as not having the usual lime problems.
One of the weirdest things I've seen as a street tree was Metasequoia glyptostroboides, dawn redwood, newly planted in a street in central London a few years ago. Don't know how long they'll last though...
Bournemouth, a town on the south coast on nutrient-poor acid sands, has mature pines along a lot of streets, with a shrub layer below of things like heather and rhododendron. I think the pines are Corsican pine, P. nigra maritima, and maritime pine, P. pinaster. Great effect, and probably very good for health, with all those lovely resins wafting on the air!
Or why not just risk it and plant whatever you fancy and then just see if it works?

Best of luck with it.
Rowan,
Ventnor, Isle of Wight.

On Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005, at 17:22 Europe/London, Don Martinson wrote:

I recently purchased a commercial property which I have rehabbed and the city has agreed to allow me to plant some trees in the area between the city sidewalk and the street. This will necessitate removing some of the existing concrete and I will try to create as large a planting area as possible, but will probably be limited to a 3 x 5 ft area for each tree.

I would like to plant something decorative and out of the ordinary, but realize that requirements for street trees may constrain my choices. The area will be in full sun and subject to some salt spray during the winter. I must also be cognizant of the water and sewer lines entering the building. Fortunately, there are no overhead utility wires to contend with.

Here is a link to a view of the site:

http://home.wi.rr.com/llmen/tazzbahpix.jpg

One of the choices I am considering is a variegated Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). However, one of my concerns is how susceptible this tree would be to sun scald of the variegated leaves.

Other choices include ( but are not limited to): flowering crabs (Malus sp), Gingko, other fastigiate trees. No ash however.

What about any of the birches or beeches? Purple foliage would be a good thing.

All suggestions are welcome.
--
Don Martinson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
l*@wi.rr.com

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