Street Trees for Tree Lawns

Plant a Tree, Enhance Our Community!

Street trees are a vital part of Tallmadge's charm. Their natural shade and beauty significantly contribute to our community's quality of life and gracefully soften our city's paved streets and sidewalks.

We understand that you may wish to plant trees in the tree lawn area to enhance your property and neighborhood. You absolutely can! To ensure the health of our sidewalks and the success of your new tree, all tree plantings in the public right-of-way must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Public Service.

Why the Guidelines?

  • It is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain trees and the sidewalk in the tree lawn.
  • In the past, some tree types unfortunately caused sidewalk damage.
  • To prevent this in the future, the city hired a Landscape Architect to develop tree recommendations and criteria to ensure our beautiful trees and sidewalks can coexist.

The following site criteria must be met before planting a street tree:

  • Minimum Width: No new trees shall be permitted in a tree lawn with a width of less than 7 feet.
  • Maximum Slope: No trees shall be permitted in a tree lawn that has a slope greater than 3:1 (33%).
  • Caliper Requirement: All trees planted in the tree lawn must be a minimum of 1.5 inches caliper.

If your tree lawn meets the above criteria, you may choose from the following approved trees:

  • Trident Maple - Acer buergerianum
  • Paperbark Maple - Acer griseum
  • Apple Serviceberry - Amelanchier × grandiflora (Native) – use standard single stem form
  • Thornless Crusader Hawthorn - Crataegus crus-galli (Native) – use standard single stem form
  • Amur Maackia - Maackia amurensis
  • Japanese Tree Lilac - Syringa reticulata

Your Simple Steps to Planting a Street Tree:

The property owner is responsible for purchasing and installing the approved trees in the tree lawn.

  1. Apply for a right-of-way permit: Before any work begins, you need to file the proper permits for working in the Public Right of Way. Go to our permitting portal to start. (Click here: Permitting Portal).
  • Note: Each property may request one street tree per tree lawn. A second tree may be requested and is subject to approval by the Director of Public Service based on the length of the tree lawn.
  1. City Site Assessment & Approval: Once permits are obtained, a City of Tallmadge representative will mark and GPS the tree's location in the tree lawn. Tree placement is determined on a case-by-case basis to ensure it meets all city requirements.
  • This review constitutes the approval process by the Director of Public Service. The City of Tallmadge reserves the right to refuse planting if the site does not meet the requirements.
  1. Call O.U.P.S.: Prior to digging, you must call the Ohio Utilities Protection Service to have underground utilities located: 800-362-2764 or oups.org.
  2. Install the Root Barrier (We help!): The city will provide and install a root barrier at no charge to the property owner. This barrier (HDPE, ) is buried along the edge of the sidewalk to protect it from aggressive root growth.
  3. Purchase and Plant: You may purchase your tree from any location, provided it meets the approved listing and the caliper criteria. You can also hire a landscape contractor, but all city permitting must still be completed.
  • Recommended Planting Time: Planting can occur between April and November, but for the best results, it is strongly recommended to plant after the foliage has dropped and the tree is dormant (typically October–November).
  • Availability Note: Not all approved trees are available each year. Check availability before making plans. 

All tree lawn trees shall be installed, maintained, and repaired under the supervision and inspection of the City of Tallmadge, but the upkeep remains the responsibility of the property owner.

Related Documents with Details

  1. Street Tree Details
  2. Tree Planting Details for Tree Lawn Street Trees

Definitions

Tree Lawn – is the portion of property lying between the front edge of the sidewalk and the back of curb at the edge of the paved street.

Root Barrier – HDPE barrier that is 8’ x 24” buried along the edge of the sidewalk prohibiting aggressive growing roots from affecting the sidewalk.

Street Trees – all trees that were planted within the Public Right of Ways.