Recommended Plant Materials
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This list provides guidance and information on recommended plant materials that are compatible with the landscape standards in the City of High Point Development Ordinance, and it is also intended to help educate the public about the appropriate types of trees and shrubs to plant in the community. City of High Point Recommended Plant Materials Updated November 2017 by City of High Point Planning & Development Dept. City of High Point Recommended Plant Materials Introduction - How to use this list Native Native vegetation is marked with a ‘Yes’ in this column. While a community’s urban forest should have a The purpose of this list is for it to be used in conjunction with the landscape requirements found in Section healthy mix of native vegetation, there are non-native plants that are also acceptable. All plant materials 5.5 – Landscaping of the City of High Point Development Ordinance. It is also designed for general use by on this list are either native species or species that are adapted to local conditions. As mentioned the public to help educate about the appropriate types of trees to plant in the community. It should be previously, others may be approved by the Planning & Development Department Director per Section noted, although the species on this list were compiled from a variety of reputable sources (listed at the 5.5.6.D. of the City of High Point Development Ordinance. end of this introduction), these are only recommendations, and there may be other plant materials that might be considered acceptable. If there is a particular species of tree or shrub not listed that you would Height and Width like to plant to meet the City’s landscaping requirements, contact the Planning & Development Each entry on the list has a typical height and width in feet, and also a range of height and width. The Department to determine whether it can be approved. typical height and width is the most common size of the species and is taken primarily from a plant list compiled by North Carolina State University in conjunction with the NC Cooperative Extension agency. The list is divided into the following categories: However, other sources often report a wider range of potential heights and widths for a species, so this • Canopy Trees = a height of at least 40 feet at maturity; information is provided in the height and width range columns. • Understory Trees = a height of between 25 and 40 feet at maturity; • Shrubs: Drought Tolerant o Large = a height between 10 and 20 feet at maturity; Species that can tolerate prolonged periods of dry weather are noted in this column. Not only does this o Medium = a height between 5 and 10 feet at maturity; help conserve the city’s water resources, because these species do not require constant watering, but it o Small = a height less than 5 feet at maturity; also means they have a higher likelihood of surviving. That is why there is an incentive in the landscaping • Groundcovers = a height of only a few feet that can be used as an alternative to grasses; and regulations allowing for a reduction in the minimum caliper size at planting for drought tolerant • Vines = species with a spreading growth pattern that can be used on the ground, walls, or trellises. understory trees. Here is a brief explanation of each column on the list: Use as Screen This column identifies species that are best used to provide screening. It primarily includes evergreen Scientific and Common Name trees and shrubs, but there are certain dense-growing deciduous plants that can also be used. Each category in this list is alphabetized using commonly accepted scientific names, which identifies the plants by genus and species. The advantage to organizing the list this way is that it groups similar types of Street Tree plants together (for example, the maples – genus ‘acer’ – are listed together, the oaks – genus ‘quercus’ – This column identifies species that have been identified in research as being suitable for planting as street are listed together, etc.). However, each entry also lists the common name. If you are looking for a trees. Traits that help trees survive in typically confined street tree planting spaces include deeper particular type of tree and do not know its scientific name, you can right click on the document and choose growing, non-aggressive root systems that do not produce large surface roots, and the ability to deal with the “Find” function (or Ctrl+F) and then search by the common name. air pollution, heat stress, and poor/compacted soils. Deciduous or Evergreen Parking Areas This column refers to whether the plant is deciduous, meaning it drops its leaves in the fall, or evergreen, Species that are identified in research as being good for planting within parking areas are noted with a meaning it retains its leaves year-round. While this distinction would seem fairly obvious, sometimes it ‘Yes’, while those that are not recommended have a ‘No’ in this column. A blank space means a species may not always be as clear cut as you might think. Some trees and shrubs are considered semi-evergreen was not mentioned as being specifically good or bad for planting in parking lots and other paved areas. and sometimes lose all their leaves and sometimes do not, usually depending on the weather conditions Like with those noted as possible street trees, recommended species typically have deep root systems and during the season. Known examples of these are identified in the notes column. can tolerate difficult site conditions, while those not recommended tend to have large surface roots. November 2017 City of High Point Recommended Plant Materials Within 20 feet of Overhead Utilities Known Invasive Species: A major challenge when maintaining trees in an urban setting is preventing their limbs from conflicting • Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) with overhead utilities, especially electric lines. This column indicates trees that would be appropriate to • Royal paulownia/Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa) plant within 20 feet of overhead utility lines, because they typically do not exceed 20 feet in height. • Mimosa/Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) However, since the height of utility lines vary considerably, each site should be examined carefully before • Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) deciding what and where to plant. • Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculate) • European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) In addition to potential overhead utility conflicts, roots can also impact underground utilities, such as • Thorny Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus pungens) water/sewer lines. Although there is not a separate column on the list for this, only vegetation with • Amur Privet (Ligustrum amurense) shallow root systems should be planted near below ground utilities, but never closer than 3 feet. Colonial • Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei) Pipeline, which maintains easements along major gas pipelines in the area, has information about limiting • Nandina (Nandina domestica) the impacts of trees and shrubs on pipeline safety. • Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) • Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) Shape/Form/Branching Pattern • Japanese Spirea (Spiraea japonica) This column is intended to give an idea about a tree or shrub’s general physical characteristics. Not every • Large Periwinkle (Vinca major) species includes information about each characteristic (for example, not all of them have a branching • Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor) pattern worth noting), but collectively it gives an overall sense of what it will look like. This may also be • English Ivy (Hedera helix) important when deciding whether a species will fit in a particular space. • Hall's Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica 'Halliana') Notes • Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) The last column includes any relevant notes about the species. Most importantly, you may see a • Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) ***CAUTION*** notice, which indicates that the species should not be planted, or at best, should only be Sources/Further References: planted after very careful consideration. Sometimes this indicates that the species is considered “invasive” • N.C. State/A&T University/N.C. Cooperative Extension - Plant List (Trees) which means it is not native to the ecosystem and has the potential to spread aggressively and cause • Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation - Dendrology Factsheets environmental harm. These definitely should not be planted, but are on the list to draw attention to them, • University of Florida IFAS Extension EDIS Publication System - Southern Trees Fact Sheets because they are still commonly planted due to their popularity. A list of known invasive species is • Missouri Botanical Garden - Plant Finder provided on the next page, and can also be found on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National • U.S. Dept. of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service - Fact Sheets & Plant Guides Invasive Species Information Center website. • Arbor Day Foundation - The Tree Guide • Alternatively, the notes column may say a species “can escape cultivation,” which means it may grow Town of Wake Forest Official Planting List beyond the area intended for planting if left unchecked, but not necessarily cause harm to surrounding • Athens (GA)-Clarke County Tree Species List plants. Cautions also include if the species is susceptible to pest or disease, has poor branch structure or • Audubon NC Native Plants for Birds - Piedmont weak wood, tends to be overplanted, can be messy, or some combination of these or other factors. • Urban Tree Foundation - Street Tree List • N.C. Forest Service - Recommended Street Trees for North Carolina Otherwise, the notes include helpful information, such as popular cultivars, rate of growth, depth of the • N.C. Urban Forest Council - NC Urban Tree Search root system, whether it produces edible (or toxic) fruit, and attractive features like distinctive bark, • N.C. Cooperative Extension - Urban Trees for Use Under Utility Lines flowers, or colorful fall foliage. It also references whether the tree is listed on the NC Audubon Society’s • Virginia Cooperative Extension - Trees for Parking Lots and Paved Areas Native Plants for Birds - Piedmont.