TULSA MASTER GARDENER

APPROVED TREES
FOR

STREETS EASEMENTS

(City of Tulsa, Oklahoma)

The City of Tulsa in 1993 enacted an ordinance dealing with trees (City of Tulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 35, Chapter 9, Ordinance No 17913) which included provisions for the Mayor with the approval of the Council to provide an official list of approved street trees. This list desiginates small, medium, and large trees that may, within other spacing and clearance provisions, be utilized in street plantings. No species other than those included on the official list of approved street trees may be planted as street trees unless permission to do so is given by the Mayor.

SECTION 902. TREES IN PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS states that no trees other than those species listed as small trees on the official list of approved trees may be planted under or within twenty (20) lateral feet of any overhead utility wire, or over or within five (5) lateral feet of any underground public utility line.

The list included the following trees.Trees in the light-blue boxes are also on the list of trees recommended for the Tulsa area.

Large Street Trees Medium Street Trees Medium Street Trees - Flowering Small Street/Utility Easement Trees Small Street/Utility Easement Trees - Flowering

LARGE TREES
Mature height over 60 feet
Spacing at least 35 feet

COMMON NAME	HEIGHT	SPREAD	*GROWTH RATE	REMARKS
CYPRESS, Bald Taxodium distichum	70-90	40-70	Medium	Very tolerant of soil types, pyramidal shape, tough tree for many locations. Brown fall color.
GINKGO (male) Ginkgo biloba	50-60	40-50	Medium	Very interesting fan-shaped foliage, very few disease or insect problems; tough, durable, yellow fall color.
HACKBERRY Celtis occidentalis	50-80	50-60	Medium	Tough, native to this area, foliage similar to elm, drought tolerant, many nipple galls (leaf galls).
OAK, Black Quercus velutina	60-80	50-70	Slow to Med.	Rounded irregular crown. Dry to moist, acidic, well-drained soil. Rarely used as ornamental. Susceptible to oak wilt.
OAK, Burr Quercus macrocarpa	60-80	30-50	Slow to Med.	Large, round-headed tree, large branches. Tough, tolerates dry conditions. Very large acorns may be a maintenance problem. Fall color dull yellow/brown.
OAK, Chinquapin Quercus muehlenbergii	30-60	20-40	Slow to Med.	Irregular, asymmetrical, round-topped tree. Drought resistant. Needs well drained soil. Does not do well in heavy clay. Fall color crimson to orange-yellow to brown.
OAK, Northern Red Quercus rubra	60-80	40-60	Medium	Desirable, deep-rooted oak, scarlet red fall color, few insect or disease problems.
OAK, Pin quercus palustris	70-80	40-60	Med. to Fast	Pyramidal growth habit, heavy nut producer, often plagued by gall insects. Red fall color. Holds leaves in winter.
OAK, Shumard Quercus shurmadii	80-100	50-60	Medium-Fast	Similar to Pin Oak, but, tolerates alkaline and clay soils better.
OAK, Southern Red Quercus falcata	60-80	40-60	Medium-Fast	Attractive large tree with room. Tolerates poor soils,drought, and neglect. Fall color dull- yellow/brown.
OAK, Swamp White Quercus bicolor	80-100	40-50	Slow-Med.	Similar in appearance to Burr Oak. Not as tolerant of adverse or drougth conditions. Difficult to transplant. Not generally suited to urban locations. Better as park or estate tree.
OAK, Water Quercus nigra	50-70	40-50	Med. to Fast	Similar to willow oak, but with spatula-shaped foliage; hold leaves late into winter - little fall color.
OAK, White Quercus alba	80-100	50-60	Slow-Med.	Round-headed. Requires good soil and adequate moisture. Holds leaves into winter. Fall color wine-red to red-orange. Best used in large open areas.
OAK, Willow Quercus phellos	50-70	40-50	Med. to Fast	Long, willow-like foliage, bright yellow in fall; sheds all its foliage by December. Excellent oak; deep roots.
PECAN Carya illinoiensis	70-100	60-80	Medium	Deep rooted, excellent shade & nut producer, many varieties available.
PINE, White Pinus strobus	50-60	40-50	Med. to Fast	Soft, long needles, grayish green tint, pyramidal; few problems on well-drained sites.
PINE, Loblolly Pinus taeda	60-80	30-40	Fast	Native to Eastern Oklahoma. Lumber pine, looks good in groups of three to five.
PINE, Shortleaf Pinus echinata	50-100		Med.-Fast	Pyramidal, irregular branches. Needs well drained soil, tolerates some clay. Maintains better winter color than Slash or Loblolly pines.
PLANETREE, London Plantanus x acerefolia	60-90	40-70	Fast	Similar to Sycamore but more resistant to anthracnose.
SYCAMORE Platanus occidentalis	60-100	50-80	Fast	Large leaves, large tree, may dwarf small structures, May suffer from anthracnose disease of foliage. Seedballs may be a nuisance.
TULIP TREE Liriodendron tulipifera	50-80	40-60	Fast	Smallish tulip-like blooms in June; may have surface roots. Foliage bright yellow in fall.