Ash Tree Alternatives
Looking for a replacement for an ailing ash tree? Dr. Andrew C. Bell, curator of woody plants, offers these suggestions. The first three selections are ® introductions. Use the new GardenGuide app (available at ) to locate these trees within the Garden and to learn more about them.
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Named by the Society of Municipal Arborists as the 2012 Urban Tree of the Year, Accoladeâ„¢ elm is one of the top-performing trees for urban and residential planting in the Chicago region. This hybrid elm provides the iconic vase-shape American elm habit but is resistant to Dutch elm disease and elm leaf beetle. |
This maple is very hardy and free of pest and disease issues. The golden-yellow fall color, uniform habit, and tolerance to urban pollution make it an excellent candidate as a street tree. Unlike the widely planted Norway maple, miyabe maple is not invasive in our region and should be planted as a replacement for ash or Norway maple. |
Selected for its uniform, upright pyramidal habit and resistance to frost cracking and anthracnose, this planetree has excellent tolerance to urban landscape settings. The exfoliating bark that has made planetree a popular ornamental is very prominent with this selection, providing year-round interest especially in the winter months. |
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Autumn Gold ginkgo One of the finer selections of ginkgo, 'Autumn Gold' has a more upright habit that is maintained with maturity. This male selection does not produce messy, foul-smelling fruit, and its bright golden-yellow fall color has made the ginkgo one of the most beloved shade trees each autumn. |
Fall Fiestaâ„¢ sugar maple Another wonderful shade tree for fall color, Fall Fiestaâ„¢ is a beautiful selection of our native sugar maple. Although sugar maples lack tolerance to the heat of crowded urban areas, they perform very well in parks and parkways. Fall Fiestaâ„¢ displays brilliant autumn shades of orange and red. |
Shawnee Braveâ„¢ bald cypress The bald cypress is one of our most beautiful, versatile, and adaptable native trees. It's extremely drought tolerant once established, with finely textured, feathery foliage that turns a rusty orange-brown in the fall. Shawnee Braveâ„¢ is an upright narrow selection for those landscapes with limited space. |
