Parkway Tree Care & Maintenance

Trees, shrubs and other plants that grow in alleys are the responsibility of the owners of the adjacent private property to maintain and/or remove if their presence becomes an issue. Alley trees often are invasive species with poor growth habits and high failure rates. Continual maintenance and care along one’s alley property line can minimize the potential for larger issues in the future. Early preventative care can help preclude the need for expensive contractor removal later.

The Village is responsible only for brush and debris from parkway trees. Placing brush from private property trees on the parkway or in the street is a violation of Village ordinance and subject to ticket and fine. However, the Village does manage a seasonal collection program that requires resident to purchase green yard waste stickers.

Protecting our parkway trees during construction is important to their long term health.  While damage to the tree canopy or trunk can be detrimental, it is often the unseen damage to roots that can cause the most damage.  It is important that one of the first things put up before construction and removed after construction is the tree protection required by the Village.  Click here to learn more about how to protect your parkway tree during a construction project.

The Village does not make recommendations on contractors for work on private property. Residents are encouraged to seek multiple quotes from companies that are bonded, insured and have certified arborists on staff. Information on finding certified arborists is posted online.

Dutch elm disease – About 1,000 American elm (Ulmus Americana) still grace Village parkways. Majestic in size and canopy, these trees still are being lost to Dutch elm disease, which has ravaged the species since first identified in the United States in the 1930s. Hoping to limit the spread of the diseases and maintain the Village’s elm populations as long as possible, trees are removed when they show symptoms such as yellowing and wilting of leaves on individual branches. While the Village does not have a preventative treatment program for American elms, the potential for treatment is re-evaluated regularly. Current treatment options have no guarantee of success and costs typically far exceed the cost of removal and replacement.

Emerald Ash Borer – Signs of the small beetle that had devastated ash trees across the upper Midwest were first confirmed in Oak Park in the summer of 2008. Each fall since, the Village has evaluated ash trees on parkways and removed those in the worst condition. Approximately 750 ash trees in varying condition remained on parkways through 2015, about 400 of which were scheduled for removal. The Village does not have an active treatment program since current treatment does not guarantee success and can far exceed the cost of removal and replacement. However, the Village continues to monitor treatment options and regularly re-evaluates the current policy.

The Village offers free woodchips for private use. The woodchips are generated through the normal parkway tree maintenance and may include some leaf material and twigs. The Public Works Department will deliver either six cubic yards or 12 cubic yards of mulch to the parkway in front of the requester’s residence. The mulch must be removed from the parkway in a timely manner. Excess chips will not be picked up by the Village. Residents also may pick up smaller quantities of wood chips in the Rehm Pool parking lot at the southwest corner of Garfield Street and Gunderson Avenue. Call 708.358.5700 for more information. 

Mulching trees and shrubs is among the most inexpensive and beneficial care practices. Proper mulching can increase water retention in the soil, minimize competition from weeds and improve the soil’s structure and fertility.  However, improper mulching – often called volcano mulching – can create a number of problems. Click here for information on proper mulching.

Village code requires the Forestry Superintendent to approve any improvement in the parkway, including installing native landscape material. Requests are reviewed on a case-by- case basis, with the primary focus on public safety. Material planted on the parkway near intersections cannot exceed 30 inches in height creating sightline issues or interfere with pedestrians. If complaints are received, the Village may re-evaluate the planting approval. Improvements may be removed at any time, without replacement, if the parkway needs to be opened for utility work.

The Village does not manage the care of trees on private property, nor mediate disputes between neighbors related to trees. The Village also does not recommend contractors for work on private property. However, information on finding certified arborists is posted online. A permit is not required for tree work on private property.

Pruning is an important part of developing an urban forest. Efforts are intended to address three critical issues – tree health, resident safety and possible property damage. Crews remove dead or dying limbs, and thin and raise the canopy to allow for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and create appropriate clearances for adjacent structures and signs.

Seasonal pruning is scheduled each January through March. One third of the Village’s trees are pruned each year, creating a three-year trim cycle. All trees six inches in diameter and larger are evaluated for pruning. Pruning is typically done by a private contractor hired by the Village and complies with all American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines for tree care.

In addition to normal cycle pruning, the Village maintains an in-house staff of certified arborists to respond to pruning issues that cannot wait for the next pruning cycle. These issues may include:

• Sign or sight line clearances
• Roof or structure conflicts
• Sidewalk or street impediments
• Storm damage
• General decline

The Village does not have authority over cutting or pruning a tree on private property. Residents are encouraged to work with neighbors or consult with an attorney on matters related to cutting or trimming a tree that overhangs a shared property line.

If a tree on the parkway has been marked for removal, that means it is diseased, infested with insects, in general decline or poses a risk to the public. Removal may not occur immediately. The removal schedule is based on the conditions of all trees in the Village marked for removal, as workers strive to take down those trees most likely to pose the most immediate public risk.

Stump Removal – Stumps of trees removed during one season typically are removed the following season. The schedule for removing stumps is determined by a private contractor to be the quickest and most efficient way to progress with stump removal across the Village. The stump, surface roots and any material that may interfere with future planting on the site will be removed and replaced with top soil and grass seed.

Parkway Restoration – The entire parkway section is not regraded after a stump has been removed. Only the site affected by the stump is restored. Property owners are responsible for the care and maintenance of the parkways adjacent to their homes. Care by the homeowner is essential to the success of the parkway restoration effort.

Whenever a tree is marked for removal, an inspector determines if a new tree should be planted at the site. Factors such as spacing between other trees on the parkway determine if a new tree will be planted at or near the removal site. Due to financial limitations, more than one season may pass before a new tree is planted in an appropriate site. New parkway trees are planted twice each year – mid- to late-May and early to mid-November – depending on weather conditions.

Species Selection - The tree species selected for planting locations depends on a number of factors. In addition to site conditions and fluctuations in species availability from season to season, the Village also strives to promote a stable and biologically diverse urban forest that is disease and insect resistant. As many as 20 different species and varieties may be plannted each season. While requests for specific species will be considered, the Village cannot provide a list of available tree species from which a resident can select since site conditions and species availability vary greatly from season to season. Contact the Public Works Department for information on the species plan for any specific year.

Size – New parkway trees typically have trunks that are two-to-three-inches in diameter. Experience has shown that trees of this size transplant best in Oak Park’s urban environment. The additional costs of transplanting larger trees do not translate into any longer term benefits. That’s why the Village does not have a program that allows residents to pay for larger trees.

Care – Each new tree is planted and mulched, and an attached watering bag is refilled regularly during the first growing season. Residents may add water to the bag once or twice a week. Transplanting is very stressful for a young tree, which likely will exhibit little growth during the first seasons as it focuses on rebuilding its root system. Newly planted trees are inspected throughout the first growing season to confirm their viability.  Any tree that does not survive is replaced the following season.

Objects such as ropes, wires, nails, signs and posters placed in trees increase the chance of branch failure, insect infestations and disease that may not be visible until long after the harm has been done. In addition, items such as swings may create public safety hazards, not only for pedestrians, but also for a child who might unintentionally travel too close to a parked or moving vehicle. The Village does not require the adjacent property owner's permission to remove and dispose of items placed in parkway trees.

The Village maintains an active and regularly updated inventory of the trees in the public way. Residents may use the online inventory to identify trees on their parkways and throughout in the Village. Click here to access the tree inventory database.

In 2024 the Village adopted an urban forest management plan to direct urban forestry goals for the next 20 years.

Click here to view Oak Park's Urban Forest Management Plan

Most insects found in Village trees are benign. Bees and wasps, for example, provide a number of positive benefits to the environment, including pollinating other plants and preying on other nuisance insects. Wasps and bees tend not to attack unless provoked. Wasp nests on public property will not be removed without extenuating circumstances. Click here for information on insects common to this region.

For more information on any tree-related issue, call 708.358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us.