For those of us lucky enough to have spent decades in an office overlooking Oak Park Avenue – and Wednesday Journal sat above George’s Restaurant for 44 years – it was a hard day when early this year the village cut down all the flowering pear trees that lined the block.
It made for a glorious two-weeks of lovely blooms.
They all felt the axe as the village readied the massive water, sewer, streetscape project that is just now wrapping up.
Here’s the good news. The village just announced there are 13 new tree species being added along the street. And they are being planted right now. The goal, says Grant Jones of the village’s forestry department, is a diverse selection of trees to ward off any diseases or infestations while adding more year-round blooms and colors.
For the arborists among our readership here’s the list:
- State Street Miyabei Maple
- Armstrong Gold Maple
- Pyramidal European Hornbeam
- Princeton Sentry Ginkgo biloba
- Skyline Thornless Honeylocust
- Kentucky Coffeetree
- Autumn Treasure Ironwood
- Exclamation! London Planetree
- Urban Pinnacle Oak
- Regal Prince Oak
- ‘Ivory silk’ Lilac
- Shawnee Brave Bald Cypress
- ‘Greenspire’ Littleleaf Linden
