Trees provide many benefits to communities, such as improved air quality, wildlife habitat, and reduced energy consumption during the summer and winter.
Planting community trees in parks, right-of-way (the area between the sidewalk and the street), and other public areas requires planning. Learn how to select the best tree and how to plant and care for it correctly.
Selection | Assessing Tree Quality | Care Before Planting | Planting | Care After Planting | More Information
Tree Selection
Selecting the best tree for the location ensures the most success and requires the consideration of many factors, including size and soil type, among other things.
Tree Selection Questionaire
To select the best species and cultivar of tree, first answer the following questions about the planting location:
What is the ultimate size and shape of the tree?
- Will the tree fit in the site in 20 or 30 years once reaching mature (or near-mature) size, both in height and width?
- Will the tree grow into power and communication lines?
- Will smaller trees with low branches create problems for vehicular and pedestrian traffic?
What maintenance will the tree require?
- Will the tree produce unwanted fruit or other undesirable litter?
- Will fall leaf drop create an unusual amount of landscape waste?
- Will the tree roots cause paved areas to heave or crack?
- Will the tree become a favorite roosting spot for birds?
- Will the tree interfere or suffer injury during snow removal?
Will the tree thrive in the site's microclimate and soil conditions?
- Will the tree tolerate the growing conditions in the planting site, such as alkaline soils (soil pH above 7.0), sun or shade, and wet or dry conditions?
- Is the rooting area of adequate size for the tree?
- If located near a road or parking lot, can the tree species tolerate deicing salts?
- Is the tree reliably winter-hardy in this area?
Does the tree contribute to diversity and aesthetic goals?
- Does the tree increase species diversity by being a different species than the other trees in the area or neighborhood?
- Has the tree been selected for its site appropriateness instead of a fast growth rate or low price?
- Does the tree have desirable ornamental characteristics?
- Does the tree have any notable insect pest or disease pressures?
Will the tree planting take place near gas, water, cable, or other underground utilities?
- The answer is "yes" for most right-of-way plantings.
- Contact Iowa One Call by calling 811 or 1-800-292-8989 or visiting the Iowa One Call website.
- Call to mark utilities at least 48 hours in advance (not including weekends and holidays).
Tree Lists for Iowa
Tree lists like the ones provided are a good first step, but they must be interpreted and understood. Remember, not every tree is suitable for every location. If you see a species or cultivar that sounds interesting, research and ensure it meets the criteria determined after answering the questions above.
Shade Trees for Iowa Small-stature Trees for Iowa
Assessing Tree Quality
Use these guidelines to select healthy trees and increase the chances that your trees will thrive.
Tips for Purchasing High-Quality Trees and Shrubs Guidelines for Selecting Trees (PDF)
Care Before Planting
Transporting
When transporting your trees and shrubs, carry them by their container or root ball rather than their trunk to avoid damaging their root system.
Lay the trees down in the bed of the truck if possible. Exposure to strong winds in the back of an open truck bed can dry and tear foliage, so cover or wrap plants that will be transported in a truck or other open vehicle. If you cannot cover the plants, drive at a slower speed (less than 35 mph) to prevent serious injury.
Storing Unplanted Trees
As trees await installation, they must be protected from mechanical injury, drying out, and overheating.
Bare-root trees are especially susceptible to harmful drying of the roots. They should be held in a cool, sheltered location with the roots covered with moist straw, hay, or damp burlap.
Container-grown trees are best held in a cool, shady area and kept moist until planted.
The best protection is to plant trees as soon as possible after they are delivered to the job site.
Planting
When to Plant
The ideal time to plant is spring or early fall, as this coincides with periods of rapid root growth, allowing trees to become established sooner. In Iowa, this is usually late March to early June and late August to mid-October, but it can vary by a few weeks from year to year, depending on the weather.
Summer planting (mid-June to mid-August) is possible but not recommended. This is because summer environmental conditions, including high temperatures and minimal rainfall, make establishment difficult. Late fall planting (after late October) may also result in planting failures, particularly when winter arrives early or is unusually severe.
Preparing the Planting Site
The first step to planting is digging an appropriate planting hole based on the tree's root ball and the site's soil conditions.
Tree Planting Basics: Site Preparation
Planting Container-Grown Trees
Container-grown trees are often the most familiar and frequently purchased type of nursery stock. Planting these trees requires special considerations to ensure the correct planting depth (never plant them too deeply) and preparation of the root ball to avoid poorly-developed root systems (in particular, circling roots).
Planting Container Grown Trees
Planting Bare Root Trees
Bare root plants have no soil around their roots. Bare root plants are the most economical type of nursery stock. They work well when purchasing large quantities of plants. Their planting and care look different than container-grown trees but can still be a successful way to establish new trees.
Bare root trees have a small window of time between when they are shipped and when they must be planted. Bare root plants should be planted before they start to leaf out and grow. This timeline usually requires more careful planning to be successful.
Planting Balled & Burlapped Trees
Balled and Burlapped (B&B) trees are trees dug from the field, and their root ball is wrapped in burlap. They are typically larger trees. This means they have a higher price point and require more people and/or equipment to prepare the planting site and plant the tree.
Planting Balled & Burlapped Trees
Care After Planting
Consistent and proper care during the establishment period is the most important thing you can do to succeed with new trees. This includes consistent watering, an ongoing care task that is frequently not done.
The first one to two years are the most critical for successful tree establishment. Regular care after planting is just as important as properly planting the tree.
More Information
- Trees Forever: Community Project Funding Guide
- Iowa DNR State Forest Nursery
- Community Tree Planting and Care Guide (PDF)
- Planting Trees in the Landscape
Photo credits: 1: James/AdobeStock; 2: chamillew/AdobeStock; 3: Iryna/AdobeStock; 4: VRD/AdobeStock; 5: Aaron Steil