The benefits of urban vegetation are numerous and well known. In addition to shading public spaces and producing oxygen, trees and shrubs contribute to thermal comfort, by humidifying the air, and acoustic comfort, as they can be used as barriers to minimize noise.
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Choosing the wrong species, however, can lead to inconvenient setbacks, from roots damaging sidewalks and water, sewer, and electrical lines, to leaves clogging storm drains or fruit staining pavements. Therefore, taking precautions before selecting trees and shrubs for planting is essential.
Generally, municipal governments have an urban forestry plan developed by specialists that defines which species can be planted in the city's public spaces. Therefore, before making any decisions, it is necessary to contact these authorities—who are also typically responsible for pruning the planted specimens.
To help select trees and shrubs for urban environments, the Plantei website compiled a short list of ten species that are suitable for cities and pose no risk to other urban infrastructure and systems.
According to the website, the main characteristics that a tree for urban planting should have are:
- Not be invasive;
- Not be toxic;
- Not have thorns;
- Not have large fruits or flowers;
- Not have shallow or aggressive roots;
- Not have brittle wood susceptible to breakage or termite attacks (avoid fast-growing trees);
- Not be large in size (over 20 meters in height).
See the full list here, and browse the website for more tips on urban vegetation.
Source: Plantei.
This article was written by Romullo Baratto. The translation is powered by AI.
