New Trees for a Better Tree Canopy

What species?

Intro sentence here.

New Trees for a Better Canopy

Great River Greening is planting trees throughout Minnesota through our Cooling Minnesota Communities program. We work with city officials, school district staff, and other community partners to choose the right trees and the right planting spots. Planting new trees is a critical part of creating healthier, more resilient urban tree canopies. 

  • In our planting plans, we make sure to include tree species that are native to Minnesota. These native species are well-adapted to our local weather patterns and provide vital habitat and food resources to native wildlife that have evolved alongside these trees. 

  • We also plant species that are not native to Minnesota but are widely used in urban forests because they have proven to be resilient to the many challenges of city life, like droughts or floods, soil compaction, air pollution, and salt. These species have been planted successfully in urban areas in Minnesota and elsewhere without becoming invasive or otherwise harming native plants and animals. 

  • Of course, we are also aware that regional temperature and precipitation patterns are changing, so we are exploring species that are new to our region but have proven to be successful in a variety of climatic and environmental conditions. We integrate these climate-resilient species where feasible in order to future-proof our plantings as much as possible, so these urban forests survive and thrive for decades to come.   

How many of each species?

And when choosing which species to plant, it is critically important to make sure no tree species, genus, or family is planted in significantly greater numbers than others. Maintaining diversity within the mix of tree types we are planting provides a level of protection for the canopy as a whole. If a new disease or pest affects or kills a particular species and the percentage of that species within the canopy is relatively low, the overall loss of trees in an area will be significantly lower than if that species represented a large minority or even majority of the trees in the canopy.  

Where to put each species?

When choosing which tree species to plant at a location, we work with our community partners to answer a number of questions about the site, including:   

  • The environmental conditions:    

    • How much sunshine does this area receive?   

    • What are the soils like?   

    • Does the area flood frequently 

    • How much road salt would a tree here be exposed to?  

    • Where does snow get plowed into piles in the winter? 

  • The existing tree canopy: 

    • Which other species are present?  

    • Which species have done well? Which are struggling 

    • Are any species overrepresented?  

  • Community priorities for the space: 

    • How do people use this area?  

    • Are there sports fields that should be kept clear of plantings?  

    • Where would shade most benefit the people gathering in or moving through the area?  

    • Taking the time to answer these questions helps to ensure that we are planting the right trees in the right places and giving them the best possible chance of survival.   

Want to help? Join us! Want to learn more? Click here.

 

For more information on tree species selection, check out these great resources from Hennepin County, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Minnesota! 

Want to help support work like this? Click here.

Funding for this program provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) or by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program. USDA and Great River Greening are equal opportunity providers and employers.