All residents wishing to plant a tree on the boulevard in front of their property must have a boulevard planting permit issued by the Forestry Division of the Parks and Recreation Department. The permit is free. Once we receive the permit application, we will visit your property and put a white flag at each available planting space. Next, you will receive the planting permit listing the recommended species for each planting space. Proper planting is essential for the tree's long-term survival. Find our Approved Boulevard Tree Planting List here. Once the tree is in the ground, it is considered public property. Please refer to Ordinance 9-4 for boulevard maintenance requirements.
Boulevard Permits
Boulevard trees are public property. It is illegal to perform any work to a boulevard tree without a permit. Only licensed tree companies will be issued permits to work on boulevard trees. Anyone wishing to have work performed on a public tree must apply for a permit and the permit must be approved before any work can occur.
Approved Boulevard Trees
Below is a comprehensive list of all species currently approved by the City of Rochester for boulevard and right-of-way (ROW) tree planting. Property owners must obtain a Tree Planting Permit prior to planting. All trees desired by the owner from the approved planting list may not be allowed due to tree diversity in the area, site conditions, or planting space restrictions. The planting permit will define the authorized trees and their planting locations.
Looking for planting information? Check out the Tree Planting Guide.
- Trees must be a minimum of 1.5" caliper.
- Clumps are not permitted in the ROW or boulevard, single stem only.
- To ensure your tree is of hardy nursey stock, please purchase the tree from a local tree nursery.
Trees must be planted:
- 10 feet from driveways
- 12 feet from any above ground utilities
- 25 feet from intersections of sidewalks
- 25 feet from existing small stature boulevard trees
- 35 feet from existing large stature boulevard trees or future boulevard planting locations
- 20 feet from light poles and power poles
- Cherry, Amur Choke, Prunus maackii
- Height: 20-30'
- Width: 18-25'
- Hardiness Zone: 2 to 6
- Description: Dense and broadly rounded crown, yellow fall color, attractive, exfoliating golden to russet brown bark. Produces fragrant white flowers in 6-10 flower clusters in April and May, followed by 1/4'' diameter black cherry fruit
- Approved for under power lines
- Crabapple, Malus spp.
- Height: 15-30', varies by species
- Width: 15-25', varies by species
- Hariness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Rounded, broad, spreading crown, fall color and intensity will vary by species. Flowering tree with small fruit that may persists into winter. Textured, scale-like bark. Due to the amount of cultivars available select cultivar that meets these requirements: 15ft or larger at maturity, fruit size is 1/2'' or less or has persistent fruit, and has good to excellent disease resistance against scab, fireblight, cedar apple rust, and mildew.
- Cultivars include: Adams, Donald Wyman, Harvest Gold, Indian Magic, Prairie Fire, Profusion, Red Jewel, Royal Raindrops, Snowdrift, Sugar Tyme, Zumi Calocarpa, other cultivars upon approval.
- Approved for under power lines
- Hawthorne, thornless, Crateaegus crus-galli
- Height: 20-30'
- Width 20-35'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
- Description: Dense and broadly rounded form, orange to scarlet fall color, white showy flowers in May lead to small 3/8'' diameter attractive rounded fruit that may persist into late fall.
- Approved for under power lines
- Maackia, Amur, Maackia amurensis
- Height: 20-30'
- Width: 20-30'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
- Description: Broad, rounded crown, yellow fall color. Copper bronze, exfoliating bark and flat seed pods 2-3''. No serious insect or disease problems.
- Approved for under power lines
- Magnolia, star, Magnolia stellata
- Height: 15-20'
- Width: 10-15'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Spreading, rounded crown, yellow-gold fall color. Produces large distinctive buds and star shaped, white flowers in March.
- Approved for under power lines
- Plum 'Princess Kay', Prunus nigra
- Height: 15-30'
- Width: 25 -30'
- Hardiness Zone: 2 to 6
- Description: Oval crown with bright red and yellow fall color. White, showy, early spring flowers.
- Approved for under power lines
- Redbud, eastern, Cercis canadensis
- Height: 20-30'
- Width: 25-30'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Rounded, spreading crown with pale yellow fall color. Produces stunning, pea-like rosy purple flowers that bloom on bare branches in April.
- Approved for under power lines
- Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance', Amelanchier x grandiflora
- Height: 15-25'
- Width: 15-25'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
- Description: Oval, vase shaped crown with red, orange, and yellow fall color. Produces a showy white flower in April. Attracts birds. No serious insect or disease problems. Single stem only, clumps not permitted.
- Approved for under power lines
- Alder, Alnus spp.
- Height: 30-50'
- Width 20-40'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
- Description: Oval narrow crown, yellow fall color, ornamentally attractive ‘cones’ in winter, nitrogen fixer.
- Cherry, Black, Prunus serotina
- Height: 50-80'
- Width: 30-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Description: Narrow columnar to narrow rounded crown, yellow/rose fall color, attractive scale-like bark. Produces a showy, white fragrant flower in April and May followed by a 3/8’’ diameter very dark purple fruit, attracts birds.
- Ginko - Seedless selections only, Ginkgo biloba
- Height: 40-50'
- Width: 25-30'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Pyramidal crown with uniform, bright yellow fall color, no serious insect or disease problems.
- Cultivars include: Autumn Gold, Magyar, Princeton Sentry
- Hop hornbeam/Ironwood, Ostrya virginiana
- Height: 25-40'
- Width: 20-30'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Description: Rounded crown, yellow fall color, reddish-brown bark peels in longitudinal strips, produces hop-like seed bearing pods
- Approved for under power lines
- Hornbeam, American, Carpinus caroliniana
- Height: 20-35'
- Width: 20-35'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Description: Globular crown with yellow, orange, and red fall color. Grey, fluted bark resembles flexing muscles. Slender, zigzag branches form an impressive winter silhouette. Leaves may persist into winter. No serious insect or disease problems.
- Approved for under power lines
- Horsechestnut, red, Aesculus glabra
- Height: 30-40'
- Width: 25-35'
- Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
- Description: Upright, oval crown with yellow fall color. Large distinctive buds. Produces very showy red flowers in May followed by prickly husks enclosing 2 to 3 inedible horsechestnuts.
- Magnolia, cucumber, Magnolia acuminata
- Height: 40-60'
- Width 20-20'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Pyramidal when young, matures to rounded. Fall color is tan to yellow. Produces large distinctive buds and green tinted flowers in April and May followed by small and 'cucumber-like' fruit and turns pink-red in late summer.
- Mountain ash, European, Sorbus aucuparia
- Height: 20-40'
- Width: 8-20;
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 6
- Description: Narrow, upright, oval crown. Has yellow to reddish-purple fall color. Showy white flowers are produced in May. Clusters of red fruit in fall may persist into early winter. Attracts birds.
- Mountain ash, Korean, Sorbus alnifolia
- Height: 40-50'
- Width: 20-25'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
- Description: Dense, pyramidal to round crown. Yellow fall color. Showy white flowers bloom in May flowed by clusters of red fall fruit that may persist into winter.
- Buckeye, Ohio, Aesculus glabra
- Height: 20-40'
- Width: 20-35'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
- Description: Rounded crown, yellow to orange fall color, attractive bark texture and large distinct buds provide winter interest. Ohio buckeye’s have a prickly husk enclosing a buckeye nut.
- Yellowwood, American, Cladrastis kentukea
- Height: 30-50'
- Width: 40-50'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Oval crown with yellow to gold fall color. Produces clusters of fragrant white pendulous flowers in May.
- Birch, River, Betula nigra
- Height: 40-70'
- Width: 40-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
- Description: Rounded crown, yellow exfoliating bark provides winter interest, yellow fall color, fairly fast growing. Single stem only, clumps are not permitted in the boulevard or city ROW.
- Catalpa, Northern, Catalpa speciosa
- Height: 40-70'
- Width: 20-50'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Asymmetrical, narrow oval to open rounded crown, yellow fall color. Showy white bell-shaped flower with purple and yellow spotting appears in May and June, followed by long, green seed pods.
- Coffee tree, Kentucky - Seedless Selection Only, Gymnocaldus dioica
- Height: 60-80'
- Width: 40-55'
- Hardiness Zone:3 to 8
- Description: Open oval to vase shape canopy, fall color is yellow. No serious insect or disease problems.
- Cultivars include: Espresso, Stately Manor
- Filbert, Turkish, Corylus colurna
- Height: 40-80'
- Width 30-50'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 7
- Description: Pyramidal crown, yellow fall color. Some mature trees develop peeling bark that exposes orange beneath. Produces showy, edible fruit, no serious disease or insect issues.
- Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis
- Height: 40-60'
- Width: 40-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 2 to 9
- Description: Vase shaped, rounded crown with fall yellow color, grey, ridged, warty bark. Produces small, berry like fruit that attract birds.
- Hickory, shagbark, Carya ovata
- Height: 70-90'
- Width: 50-70'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Irregular, oval-rounded crown, yellow to golden brown fall color, textured 'shaggy' bark peels off in long, vertical strips. Produces edible, oval rounded nuts. No serious insect or disease problems.
- Hickory, bitternut, Carya cordiformis
- Height: 50-80'
- Width: 30-50'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
- Description: Broadly columnar form, yellow fall color, textured, fissured bark. Produces inedible, rounded nuts. No serious insect or disease problems.
- Honeylocust, Thornless - Seedless Selection Only, Gledistia triacanthos var. inermis
- Height: 60-80'
- Width: 60-80'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Broad spreading crown, yellow fall color. On mature trees, bark breaks into thin, flat longitudinal ridges. Produces a twisted dark purple-brown seed pods. Dappled shade is produced by leaflets in summer.
- Cultivars include: Northern Acclaim, Skyline, Shademaster, Sunburst.
- Horsechestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum
- Height: 50-75'
- Width: 40-65'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Upright, oval crown with yellow fall color. Large distinctive buds. Produces showy white flowers in May followed by prickly husks enclosing 1-2 inedible horsechestnuts.
- Linden, American, Tilia americana
- Height: 50-80'
- Width 15-20'
- Hardiness Zone: 2 to 8
- Description: Oval, rounded crown with yellow fall color. Produces fragrant, pale yellow flowers in June. Attracts butterflies.
- Maple, black, Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum
- Height: 60-75'
- Width: 40-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Dense, rounded crown. Fall color is yellow, orange, and red. Tree sap may be tapped for syrup that is equal in quality to that obtained from sugar maple
- Maple, red, Acer rubrum
- Height: 40-70'
- Width: 30-50'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Rounded to oval crown. New growth, leaves, leafstalks, twigs, winter buds, flowers, fruit and fall color are tinged with red.
- Maple, sugar, Acer saccharum
- Height: 40-80'
- Width: 30-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Dense, rounded crown, bright yellow-orange fall color. Sap is used for maple syrup.
- Oak, black, Quercus velutina
- Height: 50-60'
- Width: 50-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Globular, spreading crown with yellow to yellow-brown to dull red fall color. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Oak, bur, Quercus macrocarpa
- Height: 50-80'
- Width: 60-80'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Broad spreading, rounded crow with yellow-brown fall color. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Oak, chinkapin, Quercus muehlenbergii
- Height: 40-60'
- Width: 50-70'
- Hardiness Zone: 5 to 7
- Description: Open, globular crown with yellow-brown fall color. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Oak, English, Quercus robur
- Height: 40-70'
- Width: 40-70'
- Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
- Description: Broad spreading, rounded crown with brown fall color. Leaves may persist into winter. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Oak, Heritage, Quercus x macdanielli
- Height: 50-60'
- Width: 40'
- Hardiness Zone: 4
- Description: Dense, uniform pyramidal crown; leaves leathery and dark glossy green; crown more rounded with age; good vigor and form and resistant to mildew.
- Oak, Northern Pin, Quercus ellipsoidalis
- Height: 50-70'
- Width: 40-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 7
- Description: Cylindrical shape and rounded crown with red fall color. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Oak, red, Quercus rubra
- Height: 50-70'
- Width: 50-75'
- Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Description: Rounded, spreading, often irregular crown with red fall color. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Oak, swamp white, Quercus bicolor
- Height: 50-60'
- Width: 50-60'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Description: Broad, rounded crown with yellow, bronze fall color. Has attractive peeling bark when young. Leaves may persist throughout winter. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Oak, white, Quercus alba
- Height: 50-80'
- Width: 50-80'
- Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Description: Pyramidal structure when young but matures to broad, rounded crown. Fall color varies from brown to red and leaves may persist throughout winter. Produces acorns. Attracts wildlife.
- Tamarack, Larix Laricina
- Height: 40-70'
- Width: 15-30'
- Hardiness Zone: 2 to 5
- Description: Tamarack, also commonly called eastern larch, American larch or Tamarack, is a deciduous conifer whose green needles turn a showy yellow in fall before falling to the ground as winter approaches. It is native to boggy soils, wet poorly-drained woodlands. The tree is pyramidal shape with horizontal branching.
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