City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/625396
SMA 2016 Urban Tree of the Year: 'Musashino' Zelkova by Michelle Sutton, City Trees Editor Photos Courtesy J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) has voted Zelkova serrata 'Musashino' the 2016 Urban Tree of the Year. The yearly selection must be adaptable to a variety of harsh urban growing conditions and have strong ornamental traits. It is often a species or cultivar considered underutilized by urban foresters. The SMA Urban Tree of the Year program has been running for 20 years, and recent honorees include yellow- wood (2015), 'Vanessa' parrotia (2014), and live oak (2013). You can see the full list of past winners on the SMA website, www.urban-forestry.com. Zelkovas are native to Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The uniquely narrow 'Musashino' cultivar originated in Japan. Its success as a street tree was noted by hor ticulturists across the Pacific, and a tree was added to the collection of the US National Arboretum in 1985. It was first offered to the Nor th American nursery trade by J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. in 2000. Named after a city in Tokyo (which itself is a city but also a prefecture containing multiple other cities), 'Musashino' has been a successful and popular street tree for many more years in Japan, proving itself useful as a narrow, upright form of zelkova. It has the genetic potential to reach 45 feet (14 m) in height and 15 feet (4.6 m) in width at maturity. It is hardy in USDA Zones 5 to 9. J. Frank Schmidt & Son. Co. literature says of the fast-growing 'Musashino', "Used singly, it is a landscape exclamation mark. Planted in groups or rows, this unusual cultivar creates a vertical design statement for parks, campuses, boulevards, and other public spaces. Perfect symmetry makes it a great choice for creating inviting alleés or visual screens to block unsightly views." In Rochester Hills, Michigan, the forestry division's Dave Etz has overseen the planting of 54 'Musashino' within the last six years. "So far we like what we see," Etz says. "It's adapt- able to difficult site conditions and appears to be one of the hardiest zelkova cultivars. After two consecutive winters with temperatures dipping near or below -20F (-29C), we've seen zero dieback, and many of our 'Musashino' are located along major roads and boulevards, where they also show good tol- erance to deicing salt spray." Etz finds that 'Musashino' leafs out a bit earlier in the spring than the other zelkova varieties they've planted, and the new foliage seems to tolerate light frost. He says, "On our relative- ly young trees the fall color hasn't been outstanding (yellow/ bronze), but references indicate the fall color can be excellent (bright yellow to rusty red), so we're hoping this will improve as our trees mature." Providence, Rhode Island City Forester Doug Still has good things to say about 'Musashino'. "It's an interesting choice for tree of the year because it is somewhat of a niche spe- cies selection, literally," he says. "It s narrow, upright form works when there is limited above-ground space for the tree canopy to grow." The largest project where Still has planted 'Musashino' has been a great success. In Providence, Atwells Avenue is well known for its wonderful Italian restaurants, a gourmet desti- nation for the whole region. The street has relatively narrow Dark green summer foliage of 'Musashino' One expression of fall color on 'Musashino' 38 City Trees