Urban Forestry

History

Terrace Park’s Urban Forestry initiative began with the planting of 1600 trees in the late 1890’s.  Although there was some criticism of species selection, spacing and even utility pruning as early as 1911, these trees continued to flourish. Given care, protection and good growing conditions many these specimens were recorded in an inventory prepared in 1982. The average life of a tree under urban conditions is about 50 years. There may still be a few village trees that have passed a century mark and continue to contribute to the quality of life in Terrace Park.  We had to remove several ‘originals’ since 2014; three sugar maples, one black oak and in 2022 a sugar maple with over 130 growth rings!!!

 

A comprehensive and evolving Urban Forestry Program, initiated in 1983, will continue to provide the Village with the many benefits it has received from the original plantings.

Memorial Tree Program

This program is designed to allow past and present residents to memorialize family and friends associated with Terrace Park. The tree and planting cost is $250.00 and is tax deductible. Although Village tree planting is decided upon by the Village Arborist, the Arborist will be happy to discuss your preferred location and planting season. All decisions will be based on Village need and type of tree. The tree will then be maintained by the Village under its Special Tree Maintenance Program. A plaque, located in the Community Building, is available to inscribe the name of the person(s) who is being honored.  If there are any questions, please contact the Village Office 513-831-2138.

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Schedule of Tree Maintenance

January/February:

• Winter pruning, shape and prune young trees. Residents are invited to join the arborist and learn how to prune trees, no labor required, contact the Village Office.

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May: 

• Trees are evaluated for condition and declining trees are marked with a red dot for ongoing observation or current year removal. Duke is informed of trees that have branches too close to power lines for tree service removal.

June:

• Trees for removal are put out to bid.

August:​

• Trees for removal are assigned and removed.  Residents are notified by the Arborist of pending removals, stump grinding and new plantings. Watering of this year’s street plantings during severe drought.

September: 

• Stumps are ground deeply, if possible, and cleaned up from trees recently cut. Grass only areas are repaired.

October:​

• New trees are planted in existing locations and or new locations.

• Deadwood prune at least 1/6th of the streets

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Trees to Avoid Planting

As you are looking in your garden catalogs, do yourself a favor and skip these trees for your yard. They are food for the Asian long horned beetle that is heading our way. Trees to avoid are: All maples including their relatives’ box elder, sycamore, and London plain, buckeyes, horse chestnuts, birches, willows, elms, mimosa, Katsura, hackberry, ash, golden rain trees, poplars, aspen, and mountain ash.

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Suggested Trees to Plant

Residents often request a list of recommended trees for their own property that will not be affected by the Asian Longhorn Beetle or the Emerald Ash Borer. The list below is of trees currently planted by the village but is only a fraction of trees available to the homeowners from nurseries. While these trees can do well here in some locations, they each have their preferences of water and sun.

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Please remember to ask about the soil requirements before purchasing. Terrace Park soil is an alluvial mix south of Wooster Pike, and ‘Hamilton County’ clay over limestone north of Wooster Pike. The PH level here is usually 7.2 - 7.3 (mildly alkaline) but it can vary. Acid loving trees and plants are to be avoided.

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Allegheny Serviceberry (Ammelanchier laevis)

American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)

American hornbeam (Carpinus Carolina)

Blackgum/Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)                                        

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) 'Frisia' or "Purple Robe' thornless

Catalpa x erubescens 'Purpurea'

Crab apple (Malus)  

Carolina Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) species or 'Arnold Pink'  (shaded area only)          

Cherry (Prunus) varieties: bird, black, choke, sweet and five flowering cultivars same as Washington DC; 'Akebono' 'Kwanzan' 'Mount Fuji' 'Accolade' 'Snow Goose'

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

Dogwood (Cornus) many cultivars

Eastern Redbud (Cercis candensis) "Alba' 'Forest Pansy' 'Appalachian'                

Hawthorn (Crataegus) many cultivars

Hardy Rubber Tree (Eucommia ulmoides)

Hickory (Carya) Varieties:  Pignut, shellbark, shagbark, mockernut, (see Pecan)

Japanese Lilac Tree (Syringa reticulate) Cultivars:  Ivory Silk, Pillar or Snow cap

Kentucky Coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) "Espresso' for male trees                  

Linden [Basswood] (Tilia) Varieties: silver, little leaf, American

Locust (Gleditsia tricanthos) 'Skyline' or 'Shade Master'

Maackia (Maackia amurensis)

Oaks (Quercus), Varieties: Black, Bur, Chestnut, Chinquapin, Red, Willow, Sawtooth, Scarlet, Shingle, Shumard, Swamp White, White (NOT PIN OAKS).    

Pecan (Carya illoinensis) is actually a hickory and can now safely grow here

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Seven Son Flower Tree  (Heptacodium miconoides)

Service Berry (Amelanchier) Varieties: canadensis and arborea  

Smoke Tree  (Cotinius coggygria)  we have planted 'Grace'            

Thornless Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis)  

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Yellowwood (Cladratis kentukea) we have both pink and white

Zelkova  (Zelkova) these are an Asian Elms         

 

 

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What is a village tree?

 

A computerized tree inventory is maintained by the Village of Terrace Park. Information contained in the database includes location, species, size, and condition of over 2800 street trees. The program allows for the tracking of work requests through completion, providing a complete work history of individual trees. All of these trees are in the Village right-of-way and are part of a comprehensive forestry management plan. Both public and private streets are valuable resources and contribute significantly to the quality of life in Terrace Park. The rights-of-way in Terrace Park vary form 30-60 feet but do not always evenly parallel the street. If you wish to see where your property line abuts the rights-of-way and where Village trees can be placed, refer to our Davy Tree software. This shows all our trees’ information as well as property lines. It has several ways to view the information, I suggest you start with the layers. https://terraceparkoh.daveyassetmanager.com/

 

Cincinnati Area Geographic Information System (CAGIS) website is another good source.  

http://cagisonline.hamilton-co.org/cagisonline/index.html

 

1. Find Terrace Park and zoom in on your street.

 

2. Look at the box of four squares at the top left, click on the box. Click on the selection marked “property”.

 

3. You can sect a second feature like ‘aerial photography’ and the two features meld using a blending bar.

 

4. You should be able to see trees and property lines at the same time. Adjust this and zoom further to what is easiest for you to view.

 

Questions?

 

Mark Castator  Email; trees@terracepark.org

Village of Terrace Park - Urban Forester

ISA Certified Arborist OH 6592A

428 Elm Street, Terrace Park, OH  45174
P: 513.831.2138  C: 513.675.0024  F: 513.831.9236

Email; trees@terracepark.org
https://www.terracepark.org/urban-forestry