Tree Selection Guide

Tree Selection Guide for Cambridge, NY

An Annotated List of Trees Suitable for Planting in Cambridge

Symbols for tree attributes are as follows:

🌲: Evergreen/conifer
🍂: Fall color
💧: Tolerates wet conditions
☀️️: Drought-tolerant
🚧: Road-salt sensitive
🌳: General suitability as a shade or street tree

I. Locally Native Species (Mostly Already Present in/around Town) Desirable ('*' Particularly So?) Large (Shade/Street) Deciduous Trees

Tree Name	Notes	Attributes	Best Use
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)	Historically landscape dominant; vulnerable to road-salt injury.	🍂 🚧 🌳	Parks, large residential yards; avoid roadside areas with heavy salt use.
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)	Tough, hardy, excellent fall color.	🍂 💧 🌳	Streetscapes, parks; tolerates wet soils.
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)	Questionable; short-lived, breakage-prone.	🍂 💧	Wet areas; unsuitable near structures or high-traffic areas.
White Oak (Quercus alba)	Shallow-rooted for an oak.	🍂 ☀️ 🌳	Large open spaces; excellent for wildlife habitats.
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)	Second landscape dominant after sugar maple?	🍂 🌳	Stately tree for parks and residential areas; avoid high-traffic roads.
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)	Large and drought-tolerant oak.	🍂 ☀️ 🌳	Ideal for wide-open spaces, parkland, or areas with dry conditions.
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)	Excellent for wet areas; uncommon but native.	🍂 💧 🌳	Riparian restoration, wet parks, or transitional zones.
Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)	Habitat-specialized native.	🌳	Rocky upland areas; specialized sites with well-drained soil.
Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)	Uncommon but probably native.	☀️ 🌳	Rocky soils, uplands; smaller spaces compared to other oaks.
*Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)	Underappreciated and under-used.	🍂 ☀️ 🌳	Open areas or large parks; excellent long-term investment.
Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)	Underutilized, but 'messy.'	🍂 ☀️ 🌳	Naturalized settings; ideal for supporting biodiversity.
Basswood (Tilia americana)	Fast-growing and underutilized; great shade tree.	🌳 🚧	Streetscapes, shade areas; avoid heavy salt exposure.
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)	Stunning bark and massive canopy.	🌳 💧	Urban parks, large public spaces.
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)	Valuable for wildlife and timber.	☀️ 🌳	Woodland edges; avoid planting near sidewalks due to potential messy fruit.
*Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)	Graceful bark, important native species.	🌳 💧	Cooler, moist conditions; avoid compacted urban soils.
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera & B. cordifolia)	Classic white-barked tree; shorter-lived.	🍂 💧	Woodland areas or northern-facing spaces; avoid prolonged heat exposure.
Black Birch (Betula lenta)	Smaller, attractive bark; native.	🌳 ☀️	Excellent in native forest areas or small parks.
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)	Breakage-prone; large tree.	☀️ 💧	Best suited for riparian zones or naturalized wet areas.
Quaking & Bigtooth Aspen (Populus tremuloides & grandidentata)	Short-lived, smaller.	🍂 🌳	Quick cover for naturalized spaces; not recommended for urban planting.
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)	Beautiful but produces juglone (toxic to some plants).	☀️	Best for larger residential or rural properties; avoid near sensitive gardens.

Smaller, Deciduous Trees

Tree Name	Notes	Attributes	Best Use

Shad, Juneberry (Amelanchier spp)	Excellent early-flowering specimen.	🍂 🌳	Smaller ornamental areas; great for pollinator-friendly gardens.
Musclewood, Bluebeech (Carpinus caroliniana)	Very attractive bark, growth form.	🌳	Small yards, understory areas, or borders.
Ironwood, Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)	Common but hard to find in nursery trade.	🌳	Best for understory or small groves.
Pin Cherry & Choke Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica & virginiana)	Very short-lived.	☀️ 🌳	Wildlife-friendly areas; avoid near fruit-harvested locations.
Sumac (Rhus typhina)	Great fall color but somewhat weedy.	🍂	Slopes or naturalized zones; needs careful management to prevent overgrowth.
Hawthorn-Type Crabs (Crataegus spp.)	Taxonomically complex; lots of hybrids/cultivars.	🌳 🍂	Ornamental areas; select disease-resistant varieties.

Evergreen/Conifer Trees

Tree Name	Notes	Attributes	Best Use
White Pine (Pinus strobus)	Beautiful large tree, but vulnerable to blister rust and road-salt.	🌲 🚧 ☀️	Open spaces with ample room; avoid roadside plantings.
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)	Resilient and fast-growing native.	🌲 ☀️	Excellent for windbreaks or reforestation projects.
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)	Threatened by hemlock woolly adelgid.	🌲	Best for shaded or cooler areas; avoid pest-infested regions.
Eastern Red-Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)	Nice form but prone to cedar/apple rust.	🌲 ☀️	Good for wildlife areas; avoid planting near susceptible apple orchards.
Northern White-Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)	Widely used landscape tree.	🌲	Formal landscaping or hedges.
Red Spruce (Picea rubens)	Primary native spruce.	🌲 ☀️	Naturalized forest plantings.
Tamarack/Larch (Larix laricina)	Habitat specialist, deciduous conifer; probably not useful.	🌲	Limited use; suited for very wet areas.
Black Spruce (Picea mariana)	Native but a habitat specialist and not great form.	🌲 ☀️ 💧	Best for wetland or riparian areas; not suitable for urban settings.
White Spruce (Picea glauca)	Local biogeographical outlier; nice tree.	🌲 ☀️	Adaptable to urban and rural plantings; tolerates poor soils.
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)	Northern species; small; not long-lived.	🌲	Best for cool, shaded areas in naturalized settings.

Native but Questionable Trees

Tree Name	Notes	Attributes	Best Use
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)	Vulnerable to two major diseases.	🍂 🌳	Forested areas; avoid planting unless resistant varieties are available.
Ash (Fraxinus spp.)	Lethal emerald ash borer infestations.	🍂 🌳	Limited use unless in areas with active pest management.
American Chestnut (Castanea dentata)	Blight-prone until resistant varieties are developed.	🍂 🌳	Experimental reforestation or large rural areas.
Slippery and White Elms (Ulmus americana & rubra)	Blight-prone; some resistant varieties available.	🌳	Urban plantings or parks with resistant cultivars.
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)	Disease-prone; declining native species.	☀️️ 🌳	Best for experimental restoration plantings.
Box-Elder (Acer negundo)	Short-lived, breakage-prone, not well-formed.	🌳 🚧	Limited use in informal landscapes or riparian zones.

II. 'Nearly Native' Species ("Facilitated Migrants") Desirable Large Deciduous Trees

Tree Name	Notes	Attributes	Best Use
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)	Interesting curiosity with colorful fall foliage.	🍂 🌳 ☀️	Ornamental plantings or naturalized landscapes.
Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)	Showy fall color; less common.	🍂 🌳 ☀️	Ideal for open spaces or as a focal shade tree.
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)	Commonly planted, excellent form.	🍂 💧 🌳	Moist areas, streetscapes; avoid alkaline or compacted soils.
Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)	Slender leaves, adaptable oak.	🍂 🌳 ☀️	Urban streetscapes or parks; tolerates wetter conditions.
Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)	Unusual oak with smooth-edged leaves.	🍂 🌳 ☀️	Best in open landscapes with ample space.
Other Hickories (e.g., Pecan, Carya illinoiensis)	Large trees, some suitable for northern varieties.	☀️ 🌳	Best in rural or spacious suburban areas.
River Birch (Betula nigra)	Attractive bark, often multi-stemmed.	🌳 💧	Riparian zones, urban parks; tolerates seasonal flooding.
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)	Hardy, but spreads aggressively.	☀️	Sterile cultivars for dry soils; avoid uncontrolled spread.
Black-Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)	Spectacular fall color, slow-growing.	🍂 🌳 💧	Wetlands or riparian buffers; avoid compacted soils.
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)	Hardy tree; sterile varieties preferred to avoid seed spread.	🍂 ☀️ 🌳	Streetscapes, parking lots, or urban parks; good shade provider.
Silverbell (Halesia carolina)	Excellent spring flowers, medium size.	🌳 🍂	Ornamental planting for gardens or small parks.
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)	Showy flowers and fall color; medium size.	🍂 ☀️ 🌳	Great for ornamental use or pollinator-friendly gardens.
Buckeyes (Aesculus spp.)	Good flowers; range from shrubs to large trees.	🌳 🌲	Ornamental settings or large rural properties.
Catalpas (Catalpa speciosa)	Spectacular flowers; drought-tolerant.	🍂 🌳 ☀️	Best as a shade tree in urban parks or along large boulevards.
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)	Showy flowers; underutilized.	🌳 🍂	Ornamental areas, small gardens, or parks.
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)	Fast-growing, good fall color, short-lived.	🍂 🌳	Open park spaces or urban landscaping.
Osage-Orange (Maclura pomifera)	Interesting but probably not a good idea generally.	☀️ 🌳	Limited use as a windbreak or for specialty projects.
Mountain-Ash (Sorbus spp.)	Several species, native and not; small to medium tree.	🍂 🌳	Cold climates, smaller parks, or ornamental landscapes.
Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)	Fragrant, long-flowering; underused.	🌳 🍂	Best for sheltered, moist areas with acidic soils.
*Cucumber Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata)	Not as showy as some magnolias but grows into a large shade tree.	🌳 🌲	Ideal for naturalized settings or as a shade tree in large spaces.
Umbrella Magnolia (Magnolia tripetala)	Huge leaves, southern feel; flowers big and showy but stinky.	🌳	Best for shaded, naturalistic plantings.
Bald-Cypress (Taxodium distichum)	Deciduous conifer, hardier than realized.	🌲 💧 ☀️	Wetlands or transitional soils; tolerates moderate drought.
Kentucky Coffee-Tree (Gymnocladus dioica)	Striking in winter silhouette.	☀️ 🌳	Ideal for large open spaces or as a specimen tree.
American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)	Small fruit tree, spreading habit.	🍂 ☀️	Fruit-friendly yards or wildlife corridors.
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)	Small tree; anthracnose rust requires careful siting.	🍂 🌳	Small gardens or ornamental plantings in dappled shade.
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)	Good small/flowering tree.	🍂 🌳	Best for small gardens or understory plantings.
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)	Fruit-bearing, spreading.	🍂 🌳	Pollinator-friendly gardens or fruit orchards; tolerates partial shade.
Fringe-Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)	Small, flowering, fall color; one of the best ornamentals.	🍂 🌳	Ornamental gardens, pollinator-friendly landscapes, or small yards.
Atlantic White-Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides)	Similar to Northern White-Cedar.	🌲 💧	Best for wetland restoration or as an ornamental hedge in moist areas.

III. Western American Species

Tree Name	Notes	Attributes	Best Use
White Fir (Abies concolor)	Large, striking, long-lived.	🌲 ☀️	Great as an ornamental or for forest-like settings.
Colorado Blue-Spruce (Picea pungens)	Much used but some disease/pest problems.	🌲 ☀️	Popular for windbreaks or ornamental use; requires regular monitoring for pests.
Douglas-Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)	Sometimes planted; doesn't always thrive.	🌲 ☀️	Best for specialized reforestation or open landscapes.

IV. Attractive Non-North American Species Not Known to Be Invasive

Tree Name	Notes	Attributes	Best Use
Various Fruit Trees	Widely planted for utility and beauty.	🍂 ☀️	Orchards, yards, or community gardens.
Magnolia stellata & Other Magnolias	Widely planted already.	🌳 🍂	Ornamental and shade use; great in urban gardens or near homes.
Stewartia Species	Camellia-like flowers; colorful bark; spectacular small tree.	🍂 🌳	Ideal for ornamental plantings or specimen trees.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)	Attractive curiosity; looks much like bald-cypress.	🌲 ☀️	Specimen tree for parks or large gardens.
Horse-Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)	Large tree, beautiful flowers.	🍂 🌳	Best in parks or as a shade tree in large landscapes.
Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum)	Very attractive bark; smallish, slow-growing.	🍂 🌳	Excellent for ornamental use in small spaces.
Korean Dogwood (Cornus kousa)	Flowering; not as vulnerable to anthracnose.	🌳 🍂	Small ornamental gardens or public parks.
European White Birch (Betula alba)	Okay but no point; prefer the natives.	🍂 🌳	Limited ornamental use; focus on native birches instead.
Flowering Crabapples (Malus spp.)	Several species and hybrids; mostly Eurasian.	🍂 🌳	Excellent for ornamental landscaping and pollinator gardens.
Little-Leaf Linden (Tilia cordata)	European species, much planted as street tree.	🌳 ☀️	Suitable for urban streetscapes; provides shade and pollinator support.
European & Japanese Larch (Larix spp.)	Fairly widely planted; fast-growing.	🌲 ☀️	Ideal for forestry projects or large open landscapes.

V. To Be Rigorously Avoided and Removed When Possible

Tree Name	Reasons to Avoid
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)	Highly invasive; outcompetes native species and reduces understory diversity.
Princess-Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)	Fast-growing, flowering, but invasive.
Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)	Aggressive spreader, allergenic, and hosts invasive pests.
Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana)	Weak wood, short-lived, highly invasive.

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