Visitors might spot some new additions to their neighborhood park this week. Landscape crews recently planted 74 trees across 14 parks in the District. A variety of species were used, including canopy trees, such as Red Oak and Northern Catalpa, and smaller, understory trees, such as Sweet Bay Magnolias.
Annual tree plantings are necessary to maintain the District’s collection and replace trees that have perished due to decline, disease, age or damage.
Planting in the fall versus the spring allows a tree to put most of its energy toward root development, as it’s not supporting a canopy of leaves during the winter. Planting in the fall also helps conserve the Park District’s resources because less watering is required during the fall season.
Some of the parks receiving the most plantings this year include Golden Meadows Park and Ben Allison Park. A mass planting of trees along the west side of Golden Meadows will provide some shade and interest to an underutilized area of the park.
Ben Allison Park was redeveloped this year and received several trees. The most notable additions are at its new entryway, which is now lined with Frans Fontaine European Hornbeams. These upright, columnar trees provide interest while drawing the visitor’s eye to the park’s new playground.
