City of New Haven Parks - Trees New Haven Programs

The Trees New Haven Programs

The City of New Haven offers three new programs to partner with residents to improve the care and appearance of our trees. (Note: to report a problem or dead tree, click here to visit the trees page.)

“There are over 33,000 street trees in New Haven. It takes community involvement and stewardship to care for these valuable assets. With your help we can make this a healthier and more attractive city. Adopt a tree in your neighborhood today.”   Robert Levine   Director, Department of Parks, Recreation & Trees

Trees New Haven Program Brochure (243k) Adopt-A-Tree Planting Guidelines and Application Form (65k) Adopt-A-Tree Pruning Policy and Application Form (66k )

Be part of the nation's oldest public tree planting program. Click here to request or pledge to plant a tree.

To donate any of the programs, Please send your check to: Department of Parks, Recreation & Trees, 720 Edgewood Avenue, New Haven, CT 06515

---

Adopt-A-Tree Program

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees is sponsoring an Adopt-A-Tree Program for the residents of the City of New Haven. Our beautiful street trees are an asset to our neighborhoods. They provide shade in the summer and act as a barrier for noise. Trees beautify our streets and produce life sustaining oxygen and trap air pollutants. They also decrease noise, increase property values and enhance civic pride. Join your neighbors this year and adopt a street tree in front of or near your house or apartment, or place of work.

 

To obtain a certificate for adopting your tree we ask that you commit to the following care for your tree:

1. Water the tree at least twice weekly during the spring and summer.
2. Mulch the soil to conserve moisture and improve health. It is a good idea to plant flowers or ground cover around your tree and keep the root area neat and clean.
3. Follow the recommendations included in your Adopt-A-Tree packet.

Trim-A-Tree Program

Healthy and attractive trees add to the aesthetic value of your neighborhood and can increase your property value. Applications are available on-line (click here to download) or at the Parks Department Maintenance Division Office, 180 Park Road, Hamden, CT 06517 for tree pruning and shaping.

Residents are welcome to provide tree pruning services for city trees within the following guidelines:

1. Application for permission to have a private company prune city trees must be made two weeks in advance of the time this work is anticipated.
2. Pruning of trees must meet standard and acceptable arboricultural practices.
3. The city’s Tree Warden and/or Arborist will meet with the applicant to determine the extent of work anticipated on the street tree.
4. No tree work shall be performed within ten (10) feet of the utility wires without the express permission from the city’s Tree Warden.

- Back to Top -

Plant-A-Tree Program

Tree planting is a commitment that should be seriously considered by the property owner/homeowner as a way of keeping New Haven green. Applicants of the Trees of New Haven Program with the City of New Haven Parks Department are welcome to plant street trees if they abide by the following guidelines:

• Application for permission must be made two weeks prior to planting tree(s).
• The city’s Tree Warden, Arborist and/or staff, will meet with the applicant to determine the placement of the city street tree.
• Only approved tree species may be used (see list available on-line cityofnewhaven.com/parks or call 946-2203.
• The planting of tree(s) must meet standard and acceptable arboricultural practices.
• The property owner/homeowner agrees to water and maintain the tree(s) so as to increase the chances of the tree’s survival. It may take over a year before a tree is fully established and able to survive without regular watering.
• The city’s tree Warden must approve the location that the tree(s) is to be planted.

Planting trees during Tree Day at Bayview Park - New Haven designated Tree City USA

- Back to Top -

---

Street Tree Replacement and Planting

Homeowners interested in obtaining replacement street trees for the tree belt in front of their homes should contact the Urban Rescource Initiative. This Yale University-based program handles this effort for the City and builds stewardship for he urban forest. Call them for information on how to get a new tree for the front of your house or any neighboring tree belt.

To get information about obtainining trees for planting from URI, contact:

Chris Ozyck
Urban Resource Initiative
203-432-6189
yale.edu/uri

List of Recommended Trees

The City of New Haven Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees recommends the following list of trees for planting on City streets.

Trees for planting under low overhead utility wires Acer buergeranum Trident Maple Acer campestre (Hedge Maple) Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’ Kwanzan Cherry Prunus sargentii ’Columnaris’ Columnar Sargent Cherry Syringa reticulata ‘Ivory Silk’, ‘Regent’, ‘Summer Snow’ Japanese Tree Lilac Trees for planting if there are no overhead utility wires Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’, ‘Red Sunset’, “Armstrong’ Red Maple Acer rubrum ‘Armstrong”, Columnar Red Maple Acer saccharum ‘ Green Mountain’ Green Mountain Sugar Maple Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’, Pyramidal European Hornbeam Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘ Marshall’s Seedless’, ‘ Newport’, ‘Patmore’ Green Ash Gleditsia triacanthos inermis ’Skyline’, ‘Shademaster’, ‘Sunburst’, ‘Majestic’, Thornless Honeylocust Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’, ‘Aristocrat’, ‘Redspire’ Callery Pear Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’, ‘ Salem’ Littleleaf Linden Ulmus x ‘ Homestead’, Homestead Elm Zelkova serrata ‘Village Green’, ‘Green Vase’, ‘Musashino’ Japanese Zelkova

Trees not to plant Silver Maple Norway Maple Bradford Pear London Planetree American Sycamore

- Back to Top -

---