The Village replaces dead parkway trees in the easement between the sidewalk and street. Please contact Public Works to add to the list if you need a replacement. Pesticide spraying of trees is handled by the homeowner if they so choose. If a resident chooses to plant their own tree to ensure a tree of their choice the tree being replaced must be on the following list of approved parkway trees.
Additional Information and Links
Ordinance Approved Parkway Tree List
Planting Requirements
New Tree Maintenance Tips
Tree Trimming
Ash Trees
Ordinance Approved Parkway Tree List
- Autumn Blaze Maple
- Norway Maple
- State Street Maple
- Sycamore Maple
- Sugar Maple
- Marmo Freeman Maple
- Sienna Glen Maple
- Burr Oak
- Chinkapin Oak
- Swamp White Oak
- Red Oak
- Shingle Oak
- Sawtooth Oak
- Skyline Locust
- Street Keeper Honey Locust
- Prairie Pride Common Hackberry
- Redmond Linden
- Silver Linden
- Little Leaf Linden
- Triumph Elm
- Accolade Elm
- Patriot Elm
- Pioneer Elm
- Bloodgood London Planetree
- London Planetree
- Japanese Zelkova
- Kentucky Coffee Tree (male only)
Planting Requirements
- Each tree to be planted shall have a single, relatively straight trunk with a minimum truck diameter of 2 ½ inches measured at twelve (12) inches above ground level.
- Tree shall not be planted within four (4) feet of any sidewalk (or other paved area within the parkway) or within twenty (20) feet of a proposed or existing street light.
- At street intersections, no tree shall be planted within twenty-five (25) feet of the nearest right-of-way line intersection.
- Shade tree shall not be spaced at intervals less than forty (40) feet. All single-family lots that are wider than seventy (70) feet shall have two trees and spacing adjusted accordingly.
- Each tree shall be balled, bur-lapped and northern nursery grown.
New Tree Maintenance Tips
Proper watering is the key to survival of your trees. The initial watering is most critical. Water for 6 to 12 hours and thoroughly saturate the root ball. After the initial watering when rainfall is not sufficient (generally 1 inch per week); the tree should be hand watered every 7 to 10 days to supplement rainfall with an even thorough soaking. Place a hose 2 feet from the trunk of the tree. Let the hose run at ¼ flow; 1 hour for trees and ½ hour for shrubs. Move hose 3 to 4 times around the tree to distribute water evenly for up to 3 or 4 hours. Water at a low setting, so that the soil does not erode and feeder roots are exposed and killed. Soil should be checked every 5 to 7 days. To check soil moisture, insert a stick 6 to 8 inches into the soil. If it comes out clean, the soil is still too dry. Plants under overhangs and along foundations require additional attention because these areas tend to dry out more quickly and/or do not receive enough rainfall. Critical months for watering are May through September. Watering will also depend on weather conditions. Trees that have wilted leaves should be TOP sprayed with water in the evening of hot sunny days. Infrequent deep soakings are preferable to frequent shallow watering as they encourage the tree to produce a deeper root system.
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, it should not water the trees the same amount as the grass. This will cause over-watering to occur. Avoid watering your trees with a sprinkler system. It is designed to water grass, which needs frequent shallow watering and is not adequate for the deeper root systems of trees. Watering by sprinkler systems can cause excessive water accumulation and root suffocation. This a leading cause of death in newly planted and transplanted trees. If you do have a sprinkler system, less frequent watering of longer duration is critical as the soil must be allowed to dry out between watering. Over-watering can be as harmful as under-watering. We recommend checking your plants every week until at least Thanksgiving, at which time trees should receive a thorough soaking. Trees should be inspected for insects and diseases periodically. Preventing problems is easier than correcting them. Remember that proper maintenance will give your trees a healthy start so they can give you many years of enjoyment.
Parkway Tree Trimming
The best time to trim a tree is in the fall. If your tree is in need of trimming please contact Public Works with your address to be added to the list. If a resident chooses to trim their tree, please be advised that the resident will need to dispose of the branches and trimmings.
Why should parkway trees be trimmed?
- To eliminate low branches from interfering with pedestrians and vehicles such as trucks, buses, and snow plows.
- To eliminate obstructions to roadway signs and streetlights
- To remove hazardous dead limbs
- To reduce the effects of wind and ice on branch stability
- To maintain the natural shape of the tree
- To repair storm damage
- To improve the overall health of the tree by reducing the chance of insect and disease infestation
Why are parkway trees trimmed so high up?
Since parkway trees are in close proximity to streets and sidewalks, trees could be “raised up” to 16 feet to minimize damage to trucks and busses passing underneath them. Large dump trucks, school busses and snowplows can be up to 12 feet tall.
Why should young trees be pruned?
A young tree whose branches do not yet extend over the street or sidewalk must have lower branches removed now to prevent future hazards. It is best to remove the branches while the tree is young so that the wound created by trimming is smaller and heals quicker. Pruning helps to provide a strong branch structure for future growth.
After trimming, a tree’s appearance is changed dramatically causing residents concern. It is good to know that trees generally experience substantial growth the year after being trimmed, and the change quickly becomes less apparent. In addition, tree wounds are not painted with a ‘dressing’ as this is a cosmetic practice that does not help the tree. In fact it has been proven that pruning paints can actually slow the healing process of the tree.
Ash Trees
Ash Tree Removals
Infected Ash trees will be marked with a white dot for removal. Please contact public works if you see D shape Boer holes in the bark of your parkway tree. The Village does not treat parkway trees but if a resident wishes to take there are treatments if the tree is less than 30% dead.
Emerald Ash Borer
Since June 2006, when the emerald ash borer (EAB) was first discovered in Illinois, State and Federal officials have been surveying Illinois’ northeastern landscape to determine the extent of spread of this evasive pest. Initially, the damage was minimal as the detection method results were mostly negative, but as the pest bore in and survey tools became more refined, positive finds have become more prevalent. Recent and numerous EAB finds underscore the need for communities to be proactive against EAB.
EAB is a small metallic green beetle, 1/2 to 3/8 of an inch long. No bigger than a penny, this elusive and invasive pest lays eggs on the trunks of ash trees in the summer months. In the fall, the eggs hatch and become larvae that bore into the tree, feasting on the tree’s cambium layer, thereby cutting off the tree’s nutrient supply which ultimately causes the tree’s decline. EAB is difficult to detect when it first arrives on a tree. A tree can host EAB for 3-5 years before symptoms become noticeable to anyone, including the trained eye. Unfortunately, the population of EAB grows exponentially with each passing year. EAB was first discovered in Illinois in June 2006, in the Windings of Ferson Creek subdivision near Lily Lake in Kane County. The Illinois Department of Agriculture has since confirmed EAB infestations in several communities within Kane, Cook, DuPage and LaSalle counties, and has issued a quarantine affecting all or parts of 18 of the northeastern-most counties of the State of Illinois.
Life Cycle
The adult emerald ash borer emerges May – July and the female lays numerous eggs in bark crevices a-d between layers of bark. The eggs hatch in 7-10 days into larvae which bore into the tree where they chew the inner bark and phloem creating winding galleries as they feed. This cuts off the flow of water and nutrients in the tree, thereby causing dieback and death.
Signs and Symptoms
The most visible sign of infestation is crown dieback. Branches at the top of the crown will die and more branches will die in subsequent years. As the tree declines, ‘suckers’, or new young branches, will sprout from the base of the tree and on the trunk. The bark may also split vertically and woodpeckers may feed on the beetle leaving visible damage on the bark. Successful treatments with insecticides are limited but continue to be studied. All ash trees near any new infestation will most likely become infested and die. Adult beetles emerging from trees will leave a unique “D” shaped exit hole. This is a small 1/8 inch diameter distinctly “D” shaped hole that may appear anywhere on the trunk or upper branches.
Characteristics of Ash Trees
- Compound leaves made up of seven small, glossy green leaflets (5-9 leaflets).
- Leaves, twigs and branches grow symmetrically in opposite pairs.
- Bark of mature trees is gray and furrowed, often appearing in a diamond pattern.
- Some ash trees will produce small canoe paddle-shaped seeds.
- Seedless ash trees are common.
- Some ash produces conspicuous hard, brown “flower galls” on their twigs.
Other Stressors to Ash leaves
Ash trees may suffer from a number of insect disease or other problems that can cause similar symptoms. Native borers also attack ash trees and leave different exit holes. The round or oval holes of native insect borers are not “D” shaped and are usually smaller or larger than those of the EAB.
You Can Help…DO NOT MOVE FIREWOOD
Emerald Ash Borer can easily be transported in ash logs. Purchase firewood locally (within county) from a known source. Be sure to use all the firewood in the cold months so that no hidden EAB larvae or adults can survive on logs left through the spring. There are both state and federal quarantines in places that restrict the movement of ash logs, branches or other material in certain areas. The entire state of Illinois is under a federal quarantine, which restricts the movement of regulated articles across the state line. Additionally, an internal state quarantine is in effect for the 18 northeastern-most counties within the state.
