City Fall Tree Planting Program Orders Being Taken

    As fall quickly approaches, the City of Urbana Shade Tree Commission is selling trees that will be planted by city and volunteer crews sometime in late September/early October within city right of ways.  Fall is the best time of year for tree planting.  The cooler growing season followed by winter dormancy and then spring rains allows an excellent establishment period leading up to the summer months. 
    The money is being collected now so that an order can be placed for the purchase of the trees in advance.  The cost of each tree is $75.00, and orders can be placed at the City of Urbana Finance Office, 205 S. Main St. until Friday, September 10, 2010.  City and volunteer crews will plant the trees by mid October. 
    For $75.00 a tree, a property owner in the City of Urbana is able to have a tree planted in the right of way in the front of their home or business.  The Lewis B. Moore Beautification Fund will supplement the cost of the tree, and the tree will be planted by the City of Urbana.  Once the tree is planted, the tree shall become the responsibility of the property owner.  This tree will be 1 ½” in caliper, and it will be delivered from the nursery in balled and burlapped and/or containerized form.
    The following species of trees are available for order:  Cercis canadensis-Redbud, Ostrya virginiana-American Hophornbeam, Ulmus parvifolia-Lacebark Chinese Elm, Gymnocladus dioicus-Kentucky Coffeetree, Platanus x acerfolia-London Planetree, Cladrastis lutea-American Yellowwood, Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis-Honeylocust, Quercus shumardii-Shumard Oak, Quercus acutissima-Sawtooth Oak, Quercus imbricaria-Shingle Oak, Amelanchier laevis ‘Autumn Brilliance’-Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’-Red Sunset Red Maple, Acer saccharum-Sugar Maple, Gingko biloba-Gingko, Taxodium distichum-Baldcypress, Metasequoia glyptostroboides-Dawn Redwood, and Ulmus x ‘Frontier’-Frontier Elm.  Other tree species may be available by request.
    The City of Urbana reserves the right to determine if the selected tree is the correct tree for the chosen site in accordance with the City of Urbana shade tree ordinance.  If not, an appropriate alternative will be chosen with the input of the property owner.  In addition, substitutions may be necessary at the city’s discretion due to availability from the nursery.
    Questions about the program can be directed to Doug Crabill at the City of Urbana at 652-4305 or grants@ctcn.net.