Strategies to Increase Street Tree
Diversity: Lessons from Baltimore
Promote Community Awareness – Make sure that
tree diversity is seen as a priority for public agency and non-
profit partners, as well as community members. Baltimore City 's
TreeKeepers program is a good model for promoting this.
Address the Urban Tree Supply Chain – Create a
larger available palette of resilient tree species for difficult environ-
ments. The Baltimore City Forestry Division is expanding the City 's
approved street tree list, enhancing the diversity of trees they offer
through TreeBaltimore, and investing in their own nursery stock
program to diversify production via public-private partnership.
Increase Planting Space – Formerly redlined neigh-
borhoods are often very densely built, with limited space
for street trees and highly compacted and poor-quality soils.
Baltimore City 's Forestry Division is expanding tree pits in
these neighborhoods where possible, and is working with
the Department of Transportation to make sidewalk con-
struction guidelines more accommodating of street trees.
Native trees in TreeBaltimore's staging area in Druid Hill Park.
Credit: Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks
Baltimore TreeKeepers pole-pruning in the
Oliver neighborhood of Baltimore City. Credit:
Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks
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