List of Good Sidewalk Trees

Hedge Maple

• Hedge maple (Acer campestre) can serve as a hedge or be pruned into a tree. This deciduous tree thrives in full sun to light shade and moist, well-drained soil, but it can tolerate drought, air pollution, wind and slightly wet, compacted soil. If allowed to grow as a tree, it can reach 25 to 30 feet tall. Its maximum width, if not pruned, reaches 25 to 30 feet wide. Hedge maple grows in zones 4 through 8 of the designated U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones. This easy to transplant tree, with its dense root system, makes a good sidewalk tree.

Japanese Crape Myrtle

• Japanese crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia fauriei), compared to the common crape myrtle, displays smaller white flowers and larger leaves. It grows 35 to 50 feet in height with leathery leaves. Japanese maple's peeling red and brown bark makes it a desirable winter ornamental tree. This slow-growing tree with its upright, vase-shaped crown and noninvasive roots classifies it as ideal for street planting. Other advantages include drought tolerance, freedom from most pests and diseases, and it can grow in any soil. Plant Japanese crape myrtle in full sun.

Chastetree

• Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus), grows 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. It thrives in sun to partial shade and hot weather. It displays 10-inch, fragrant flower spikes in colors of lilac, pale violet or white. You can let chastetree grow as a shrub or shape it into a tree. It does well in various soil types and grows rapidly. The short stature and compact form make chastetree a good specimen for a sidewalk tree. It is cold hardy to zone 7 on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Crabapple Trees

• Crabapple trees (Malus baccata) are closely related to the trees that produce apples for selling in the marketplace. The apples on crabapple trees grow to only 2 inches in diameter. To classify as an apple, for food distribution, the fruit must measure more than 2 inches in diameter. Nonetheless, the crabapple tree is favored as a showy ornamental tree. The bud of crabapple -- known as the balloon -- is red-purple, but the flower opens as a pink or white color. Many cultivars of crabapple exist and due to the short stature of the tree, they are suitable for planting under power lines and as street trees. They can also serve as screens, specimen trees, patio trees, a wildlife habitat, backgrounds, or grouped in mass plantings.