Selection criteria for Street Trees

Not only must trees be hardy to the climate and soils, they need to meet a long list of other criteria to be a "competent" street tree in today's urban environments - including:

• have a reliable form - an elevated canopy and single trunk are needed to keep sightlines open for traffic and security reasons;
• needing to be long lived - many fast-growing trees tend to be short lived. Some research indicates that a tree starts to justify the investment in its planting and growth after 23 years;
• not a weed - and unlikely to become one;
• whether deciduous or evergreen - every site should be assessed on its merits for sun/shade requirements.

There are many more - these can be found in the Street Tree Masterplan at section 1.4 Species Selection.