SPECIES GUIDANCE

Choosing your tree

From pavement widths to pollen count, there is lots to consider when choosing a tree.

We aim to ensure a variety of street trees across London as well as choosing species best suited to the location.

The best tree for your street

How wide are the pavements on your street?

In general the smaller your pavement the smaller should be your tree. In these guidelines we suggest a number of trees for different size pavements. But there are other considerations to take into account.

How exposed or sheltered is your street?

Some tree species have adapted to life in extremely windy conditions such as the top of a cliff. Tamarix are the most wind resistant of street trees and Hawthorn and Cockspur come close behind. Any tree with delicate leaves is unsuitable as its leaves will be ripped off by a strong wind.

How Mediterranean is your street?

Because buildings can both store and reflect heat some of Lewisham street’s have Mediterranean microclimates. For this reason there are lots of Olive trees growing in front gardens, and along Stanstead Road there are several Loquat Trees which both flower and fruit. And as the climate warms such mediterranean trees will flourish. The magnificent Crepe Myrtle may not flower every year but sometimes it does as in the photo above

How can you assess your street?

One way is to walk round your street and the surrounding streets and to see which trees are thriving and which trees are either struggling or are causing damage to the pavement. Another way is to ask your Area Rep for a list of possibilities.

Which trees are high in pollen?

The following trees are high in pollen; Acer Maple (certain species only), Alnus Alder, Betula Birch, Carpinus Betulus Hornbeam, Corylus Hazel, Juglans Walnut, Juniperus Juniper, Ligustrum Privet, Liquidambar styraciflua American Sweetgum, Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood.

Thinking of an Ornamental Cherry?

Widely loved for their blossom, flowering cherries can be extremely destructive to pavements and garden walls, as such Lewisham Council has now stated these are no longer allowed in hard paving and are to be planted in soft verges only.

What do you hope to get from your tree?

Colour? shape? flowers for bees? berries for birds? Or a barrier against the noise and pollution of a busy street?

Do you suffer from hay fever or asthma?

Research indicates that the production of large amounts of pollen from certain trees can have a localised impact on allergy sufferers. Street Trees for Living lists some of the top producers of pollen to be avoided by hay fever and asthma sufferers, and also when planting near to schools or in avenues in public highways. For more information on ways to help reduce risk of exposure to allergic pollen for people living with pollen and respiratory allergy please visit the Allergy UK website.

What species are available?

Occasionally, when ordering trees, it is not possible to meet species requests, usually because a tree is unavailable. In this case, STfL and Lewisham Council will choose the closest possible substitute.

Tree diversity

The 10-20-30 rule (Santamour,f, 2002) is a method of ensuring your tree population remains sufficiently diverse:

  • No more than 10% should be the same species (prunus avium, wild cherry)

  • No more than 20% should be the same genus (prunus, cherry)

  • No more than 30% should be the same family (Rosacea Family)

Our recent tree audit has revealed that of 1110 trees STfL have planted, 418 trees (43%) are within the Rosacea Family, including 173 Prunus, 126 Sorbus, 114 Malus, 40 Pyrus and 30 Crateagus. This means we are exceeding the target of planting no more than 30% of street trees in the same family.

    • Acca sellowiana Pineapple Guava - not available

    • Acer Platanoides Crimson Sentry

    • Arbutus unedo - expensive and not always available

    • Cercis siliquastrum Judas tree - available

    • Chitalpa x tashkentensis Summer Bells Desert Willow - not available

    • Cornus mas - can be be difficult to source

    • Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple - grass verge only

    • Crataegus laevigata Paul's Scarlet Hawthorn* - available

    • Crataegus monogyna Stricta Hawthorn* - available

    • Crataegus x lavalleei Carrierèi Hawthorn* - available

    • Crataegus x prunifolia Splendens Hawthorn* - available

    • Davidia involucrata Hankerchief Tree - not available

    • Lagerstroemia indica Crepe Myrtle - available, extra charge of £165 only does well if south facing and with reflected heat, doesn’t flower every year

    • Ligustrum japonicum Japanese Tree Privet - available

    • Ligustrum lucidum Chinese Tree Privet - not available

    • Liriodendron tulipifera Fastigiata Upright Tulip Tree - available

    • Malus Baccata Street Parade Crab apple* - available

    • Malus Floribunda Crab apple* - available

    • Malus Evereste Crab apple* - available

    • Malus Rudolph Crab apple* - available

    • Malus Toringo Crab apple* - available

    • Malus Mokum Crab apple* - available

    • Magnolia Kobus Magnolia - available, extra charge £32

    • Pyrus Chanticleer Ornamental Pear - available

    • Sophora Japonica Japanese pagoda tree - (only plant if there is a front garden) available

    • Syringa Vulgaris Lilac - not available

    • Tamarix Salt Cedar - (soft verge only) small number available

    *Please note that these trees are in the Rosacea family. We want to minimise planting too many trees in this family to reduce risk of pests and disease by increasing diversity. For more information see paragraph about street tree diversity above. The donation is on the understanding that the sponsor will water the tree for three years using this guidance. It includes an approx 2.5m tree with two stakes, a guaranteed replacement if the tree fails or is vandalised in the first two years, and a label carrying the sponsor's name, or a name in commemoration, on request.

    • Acer campestre Arends - available

    • Acer Ginnala

    • Acer Buergerianum

    • Acer platanoides columnara

    • Acer rubrum Red Sunset - (soft verge only) small number available

    • Albizia julibrissin Persian Silk Tree - expensive and not suited to a paved environment

    • Alnus incana aurea Alder - not available

    • Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree - not available expensive so species provided will be smaller than usual or sponsor will need to pay the difference

    • Betula ermanii Silver Birch - available

    • Betula Nigra River Birch - available

    • Betula pendula Silver Birch - The Switsers Glory and the TRistis varieties are not suitable for paved environments - available

    • Cercidiphyllum japonicum Katsura tree - soft verge only and will need a keen guardian- small number available

    • Corylus colorna Turkish Hazel - available

    • Ginkgo Biloba Maidenhair - available to be avoided by people with allergies

    • Gleditsia triacanthos Sunburst Honey Locust - available

    • Koelreuteria paniculata Golden Rain Tree - available

    • Liquidambar Slender Silhouette Sweet Gum - available

    • Liquidambar styraciflua Worplesdon / Fastigiata Sweet Gum Worplesdon / Fastigiate - available

    • Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip Tree - only plant in soft verges where there is plenty of space - available

    • Magnolia Denudata yellow river - extra charge

    • Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood - only in grass vereges where there is plenty of space - available, extra charge £106

    • Parotia persica vanessa Persian Ironwood - available, extra charge £250

    • Paulownia tomentosa Foxglove Tree - not available

    • Pinus sylvestris Fastigiata Upright Pine - not available

    • Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Bessoniana’ Thornless False Acacia - available

    • Robinia pseudoacacia Rotterdam Black Locust - not available

    • Tilia cordata Winter Orange Small Leaved Lime Winter Orange - available, extra charge £61

    • Tilia mongolica Mongolian Lime - available

    • Ulmus Vada Wanoux Elm (disease resistant) - available

    • Acer Campestre Field Maple - available

    • Acer Campestre Elegant Field Maple - available

    • Acer Campestre Elsrijk Field Maple - available

    • Acer Campestre Lineko Field Maple - available

    • Acer Campestre Louisa Red Shrine Field Maple - available

    • Acer platanoides Norway Maple - available

    • Carpinus betulus Columnare Hornbeam - available

    • Carpinus Fastigiata Upright Hornbeam - available not in areas prone to subsidence

    • Carpinus betulus Lucas Upright Hornbeam - available

    • Celtis australis Nettle Tree - available

    • Catalpa bignonioides Indian Bean Tree - available

    • Cornus mas Cornelian Cherry - available - extra charge £137

    • Gymnocladus dioica Kentucky Coffee Tree - only in grass verges - not available

    • Juglans nigra Black Walnut Tree - available

    • Juglans regia Persian Walnut Tree - only in grass verge - available

    • Koelreuteria paniculate Golden Rain Tree - available

    • Liquidambar styraciflua American Sweetgum - available

    • Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood - only in grass verges - available, extra charge £106

    • Paulownia tomentosa Foxglove Tree - not available

    • Platanus x hispanica London Plane - not available

    • Pinus sylvestris Scots Pine - not available

    • Tilia cordata Small Leaved Lime - available

    • Ulmus Vada Wanoux Elm (disease resistant) - available

    • Ulmus New Horizon Resistant Elm - not available

Species list

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