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If you could choose a street tree....

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  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I sup p you could replace a dead sapling and look after it yourself if you wanted to. I doubt the council would notice.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Ah, ... now I'm not sure if you meant a tree planted by the council in a tree bed (or proxy) or in your own front garden.
  • Oh I  mean in the verge by the road, not my front garden.  We are lucky here we have hedge and grass verges plus quite generous road width, it's one of the reasons we chose to live here.  It means the houses opposite don't feel as if they are on top of you.
    If I can find the right one at reasonable cost I would plant it before they come and stick some cheapo thing in. 
    AB Still learning

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited September 2022

    People in our area have taken to putting their own street trees in. A neighbour put in a fig a few years ago and it’s been very productive. I’ve put in a fair number of bushy salvias (not trees). 

    Two of our local streets have huge 120 year old London plane trees that are lovely but are a royal PITA for huge leaf drop and  growth around the base that block the pavement. The other two roads have small silver birches, cherries and Hawthorn. Many of the trees sucker - like the cherries. The ideal tree would stay small and not sucker. A dwarf birch, perhaps. 

    Low watering levels are a real problem. Before now new trees just died because the council didn’t water them. These days the neighbours do it. The council and govt run “greening the borough” projects and fund tree planting, then bulldoze a park to build flats. 🤬
  • JemulaJemula Posts: 196
    Another drawback to London Plane trees, beautiful as they are, is the throat and nose irritation caused by the tiny fibres which drop from the trees in late Spring resulting in coughing fits in susceptible people.  A well known problem at the Chelsea Flower Show.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Yes, a big problem by us. Plus, they get pollarded every three years and the dust and crap (from London) that comes down is amazing. Everyone keeps their windows shut. We sneeze for a week. It should be done every other year but the council says there is no budget. 
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I was reading through and was going to say Liquid Amber or Rowan but they have both been mentioned. Liquid amber is in Perigueux in Dordogne and looks wonderful in autumn.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2022
    I’d plant a native hawthorn ❤️ 

    They respond well to crown-thinning if they get a bit big. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited September 2022
    It's a great tree!
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    I like a lot of trees a few already mentioned like Zelkova - Hawthorn Paul scarlet is a beauty.  They is a few cherry trees on road verges around here which look nice even when the petals drop and turns the grass pink, autumn foliage is great. Probably my favourite group of trees are Cornus especially with its multi season interest where I start with but probably not the best next to a road. 

    In Manchester city center they are a group of paulownia trees I had to look twice they looked fantastic just coming into flower . I'd consider Liriodendron ( tulip tree ) also Cercis Japonicum autumn foliage and street smelling of candy floss . And Beech I love beech the grandeur of a huge tree,  they is a weeping one on a main road and the buses keep it trimmed into shape. 
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