Guilderland Tree Preservation Committee
Recommended Trees for Planting in Guilderland - Introduction

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Master List of Trees
 
The Tree Preservation Committee has compiled lists of trees suitable for growing throughout the Town of Guilderland. Planting of conifers should be limited to private property, while many of the deciduous trees on the list are also suitable for planting as street trees within the street tree lawns. Tree lawns are the grassy areas between the sidewalk and the roadway, and are located within the Town’s property and right-of-way.
Most of the recommended trees are native species. Native trees support the lifecycle of specific insects, birds, and other animals. They also offer a sustainable approach to landscaping, requiring less water, maintenance and other resources. A few non-native trees are included. All of these are non-invasive, and because they do not attract wildlife they may be especially useful for planting near heavily trafficked roads.
Properly planted in suitable locations, all of these trees will provide beauty, shade, and a more sustainable environment for future generations of Guilderland residents.
When choosing from the list, as you make your selections, please be sure to select those trees that will be most likely to thrive in conditions specific to your site. In particular, the presence of overhead utility wires and cables must be accommodated; trees for planting sites within 15 feet laterally of such lines must be selected from the list of those which will not exceed 30ft in height when they have grown to maturity, and for the trees larger at maturity, planting at greater distances from the utility lines is advisable.

The Master tree list [pdf file] contains all the recommended trees, divided in three mature height categories (<30ft; 30-60ft; and >60ft). Color and symbol markings in the master list indicate a) Pine Bush ecosystem compatible trees; non-native tree species; and tree species suitable for Street Trees in near-roadway/tree lawn plantings.
We also provide lists distilled from the Master list, as web pages, containing links to sites with photos and more information about each tree species,
and as pdf files, for printing:
for Street Trees alone [pdf file];
for Pine Bush compatible trees alone [pdf file];
for all deciduous trees separately [pdf file];
and all conifers separately [pdf file].


There are other practical considerations:
Growing Zone: Our growing zone is 5a. That means we can safely plant species that are able to survive winter temperatures down to -20. All the selections are suitable to zone 5. Most of the selections are safe to -30, which is zone 4.

Size: Some parts of the Town have large residential lots, but others, like McKownville have mostly smaller ones. We were mindful to include smaller varieties for small yards, such as the Gray birch or the spectacular and under appreciated Black gum (Tupelo).

Light: Consider the amount of light in your yard. Full sun, which is at least 6 hours of sun daily, is desired by most plants. The Pagoda dogwood and Striped maple are examples of species that prefer the dappled light of the understory, and will tolerate more shade.

Soil: Most trees prefer drier soil but there are those that can handle less oxygen and do well in wetter areas, such as the Red maple.

Insects: Hemlock trees are a beautiful native conifer but the woolly adelgid is infecting them. It would be better to plant a conifer that is resistant to this insect like the White fir.
    


Native Species and the Ecosystem: If you like seeing birds or butterflies you need to plant native species to support them. Butterflies start out as caterpillars and they need native trees, shrubs and plants as hosts. Birds need caterpillars and other insects to feed themselves and their offspring.
For example, just think for a minute about caterpillars. Pyrrharctia isabella, the tiger moth, lays its eggs on birch and maple trees in our area. Those eggs become woolly bear caterpillars. A butterfly bush supplies nectar for many pollinators but it is a non-native plant and hosts no species of caterpillar. However, a wisteria planted near by hosts 19 different species of caterpillar and a winterberry hosts 39 different species of caterpillar. Caterpillars produce spectacular moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) but they are also an important food source to fill the bellies of birds! A chickadee needs over 6,000 of them to feed a single clutch. One song bird can eat an average of 300 caterpillars every day. Many of us love to feed and watch the birds outside of our windows!

Remember, not everything needs to be native but maybe have a goal to add one native plant or shrub every year. Sometimes it is just as important to grow something because of its beauty or that you like its fragrance.

If you wish to read more and in more depth about these considerations, and about trees, shrubs and other plants,
people in McKownville compiled a list of online and book resources which we recommend and which have been used to make the selections in our lists of recommended plantings.

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