Applying to TreeVitalize Pittsburgh

Your community must have a shade tree commission or environmental committee that encompasses tree ordinances. You should consult a borough council or municipal engineer, or someone with authority in the municipality. At that point, follow the instructions above to apply to TreeVitalize.

Trees can lift sidewalks, especially certain kinds of trees and in certain infrastructure situations. But not every tree is equal…we can choose trees with less aggressive root systems. The trees we plant now tend to be slower-growing trees and with slower growing roots systems, such as non-fruiting ginkgos and hophornbeam.

There are reasons so many historic trees lift sidewalks. Tree farmers have to grow a tree for 6 to 8 years to get a monetary return, so nurseries grew faster growing trees, which you often see in older neighborhoods. Also, sometimes, a tree was planted in a pit that was too small for its roots. Or sometimes, property owners have work done around the tree that makes the tree pit smaller.

There are new, better ways to build sidewalks, particularly in the subbase—a four-inch slab of concrete with porous gravel is an invitation for roots to grow. Infrastructure needs to be built in a tree-friendly way.

WPC and TreeVitalize only plant utility-compatible trees on community streets. That means that the trees we plant will not grow tall enough to be topped by the power company. 

In 2019, foresters from WPC, Pittsburgh City Forestry, Tree Pittsburgh and Penn State Extension met with utility arborists from Duquesne Light to update our lists of utility-compatible tree species for our planting projects.

Tree topping for line clearance will continue, but as we plant more and more compatible species, such as redbud, flowering cherry, crabapple, etc., the frequency of tree topping will decline over time. The goal of power companies when pruning is to restore or keep power on in a neighborhood. We are pleased to partner with them for less invasive and destructive tree cutting practices.

We have a saying: “Right tree, right place.” A lot of thought goes into how we choose what trees go where. We assess every single spot and look at the environs. For example, more visibility is needed near intersections. Or, in a nice open park setting, we can plant trees with roots that spread.

Other things we consider include, but are not limited to:
*Are there overhead lines?
*Where are the underground lines, such as gas lines?
*Will the trees be planted on a high-traffic street that gets a lot of salt?
*What type of site prep is needed?
*What trees are already there? We don’t want to limit diversity.

There is actually a size mandate for the City of Pittsburgh. The minimum acceptable size is 2″ caliper bald and burlapped, which is what we plant. Smaller trees don’t survive as well: They are vandalized more easily, or are not seen as well by drivers parking cars and delivery trucks. They succumb more quickly to winter salting and dog urine.

Bigger trees are less likely to be damaged after planting. They are heavy, but three to four people lift well together and we instruct them carefully. We don’t require anyone to lift; only volunteers who feel comfortable do any lifting, and staff do a lot of lifting, too. 

Although the idea sounds good, and food security is indeed a problem for many families, growing edible fruit trees along streets is not feasible for many reasons. The big reason is fruits are considered to be a nuisance at minimum by most people, and usually are a deal breaker for having a tree at all. Trees are legally or illegally removed for lesser reasons than messy fruit. Fruit trees can cause slippery sidewalks, damage to cars, increased animals and insects, and staining to carpets after walking on fruits.

Also, fruit trees just don’t grow well along streets, which are very stressful locations for any plant. Winter salting, dog urine, delivery trucks, poor soil or lack of soil, contaminants, exhaust and a hotter microclimate just don’t work for many trees, but especially fruit trees, which are considered finicky on a good day in an orchard setting.

And finally, we really don’t want people to eat food grown in that setting. The tree takes up chemicals and pollutants into its system that would then be present in the fruit.

Tree Pittsburgh has a Giving Grove program, working with fruit production in urban areas, including more acceptable places for growing, such as school grounds or through the city vacant lot program. And of course, anyone with space can plant a fruit tree in their own yard!

All people who request trees to be planted need to water them from late May to early September for the first two summers. For planting sites that are not as well connected to an adjacent resident or community group, staff or contractors can sometimes water.