Where to buy a street tree?

check with the parks dept. street trees are FREE when the parks dept. puts them in.

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 2:23 PM

also the parks dept. doesn't take forever. we got one within 6 months of making a request. the season matters, though. they are best planted in the fall. after dormancy, but before the ground freezes.

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 2:26 PM

Yeah but the wait-list is years, as the OP was trying to say.

The Parks Dept needs to figure out a way to let people get their own trees installed. I can understand why they don't allow it, because a badly planted tree will die then become a hazard to pedestrians and motorists. But waiting years for trees will accomplish nothing towards "greening" NYC. Why don't they make a list of officially pre-approved arborists who are the only ones who can be hired by homeowners to install trees? Then choose a nursery to be the official approved place to buy trees, and have certain types of trees listed homeowners can buy there. Not so complicated, really.

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 2:30 PM

A 6-month waiting period can become a year or longer depending on where you are on the list, because they don't plant trees in Winter or early Spring. Planting is only done in late Spring, or Summer and Fall to about early November at the latest.

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 2:34 PM

You can't just plant whatever tree you want. You have to submit a plan and details to the Parks Department and they have a list of trees they will accept (the list changes as they discover whether certain trees are surviving each year and whether there are any tree bugs/viruses that are new to the area. You should hire a Landscape Architect or a Design service at a nursery to deal with this for you if you indeed want to do it yourself.

You don't want to install a tree that ends up killing all of your neighbors trees.

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 2:42 PM

It's easier to put your name on the list. You'll have a tree by the next planting season. Here is what you have to do if you want to do it yourself.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/trees_greenstreets/street_tree_plant.html

Planting on Your Own Street Tree
Before planting your own street tree, you must submit a free permit application to the Parks Department's Central Forestry & Horticulture division (download link below). If the sidewalk must be broken in order to create a tree pit, you must also apply to the Department of Transportation for a permit.

Application and guidelines for planting your own NYC street tree (559KB PDF)

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 2:46 PM

We requested a tree about 3 months ago.
They came to dig up the cement and put the dirt in a few weeks ago.
No tree yet (perhaps it's too cold) - but the process is more than started! We live in Bed-Stuy.

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 2:50 PM

O.P. here, I will be submitting an application with Parks Dept. to plant my own tree, It is legal. I would rather do it myself, select my own tree, rather than wait and take whatever they provide. I just thought someone might be able to reccomend a source. Thanks.

Posted by: guest at February 17, 2008 6:08 PM

I suggest going the 'pay for it and select it' route.

The city finally put in a tree for us, more than 2 years after the request. Hell might even have been three years since we signed up for it.

And it's some random ass tree i've never heard of, kentucky coffee tree' anyone? Looks scraggly and not what I had in mind. oh well.

Posted by: guest at February 18, 2008 2:35 PM

I recommend calling BBG (Brooklyn Botanic Garden) and ask for their suggestions - then pick your own tree. You can either pay the city to plant, or hire an arborist to plant for you. BBG has the latest info on desease resistance, life span, growth pattern, etc. Tell them what side of the street you are on, facing which direction and how tall the buildings on the block are (for light, etc.) They were very helpful to us, and we hired from the outside (Urban Arbor) to purchase and plant the tree.

Posted by: guest at February 18, 2008 8:38 PM

I requested a street tree in July and when I took my parents over to see my (in-progress) reno job on Christmas day, my new tree had been planted! What a great present!! Guess the ground wasn't too frozen. I imagine Bloomberg's plant 1,000,000 new trees initiative has made this more of a priority than in the past.

Posted by: guest at February 18, 2008 10:36 PM

I requested a street tree in July and when I took my parents over to see my (in-progress) reno job on Christmas day, my new tree had been planted! What a great present!! Guess the ground wasn't too frozen. I imagine Bloomberg's plant 1,000,000 new trees initiative has made this more of a priority than in the past.

Posted by: guest at February 18, 2008 10:36 PM

I think Kentucky Coffee Trees are very nice, but they tend not to develop leaves until very late in the season.

Posted by: guest at February 19, 2008 4:43 PM

You can buy small trees at Shannon Nursery on Ft. Hamilton, in Kensington/Windsor Terrace. There are also trees at another nursery on Caton Avenue a few blocks away. They can probably order the species you want as well. You need to either spring plant within the next couple weeks (ok), or wait till the cool fall weather (better).

Two years ago, I got free street trees from the Parks Dept about 9 months after filing a request c/o the Community Board, according to NYC Parks Dept instructions. They excavated, planted, and made a border with cobblestones over the course of a couple weeks and they look great!

Posted by: guest at March 27, 2008 4:48 PM