HOT TOPICS

All Legacy Trees

Click on image to view larger image.

Hackberry

Sim Hackberry (Celtic occidentalis)
312 S. Coler Avenue
Historic Designation, 2014

Urbana’s first Legacy Tree, the Sim Hackberry located at 312 S. Coler, was honored posthumously in 2014. The tree that stood 98 feet tall (with a trunk measuring 5 feet in diameter, and more than 16 feet in circumference) is being processed by Autumn Mill in Argenta, Illinois, into wood to be used for other purposes.
Memorializing the Sim Hackberry

 

Sycamore

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
309 W. High Street
Size Designation, 2014

Estimated at more than 100 years old, this tree stands at 105 feet and its crown spread is 100 feet. Supported by a columnar trunk measuring over 4.5 feet in diameter with a circumference at 14.3 feet, this Sycamore is Urbana’s largest parkway tree.

Local resident Theresa Herman nominated the massive tree after admiring it for years. The tree is located on city property and cherished by everyone in the community.
News Gazette Article

 

Burr Oak

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
301 Griggs Street
Historic Designation, 2014

This tree is a remnant of the original Big Grove, documented by the Federal Land Survey between 1804 and 1891, and is estimated to be more than 150 years old. It stands 80 feet tall with a trunk measuring 4 feet in diameter and 12 feet in circumference.

Dorothy Neumann, the owner, nominated the tree that many recognize as an icon of the neighborhood. Dorothy has grown to share a special bond with the tree that soars over Griggs street from her front yard. “The tree is much more valuable to me than the house, because it’s more irreplaceable,” Dorothy said. “A house can be rebuilt, but a 150-year-old tree can’t be replaced.”

Ciliving.tv Video

 

Sugar Maple

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
901 S. Busey Avenue
Size Designation, 2015

 At a height of 80 feet and a circumference of 42 feet, this tree ranks among the top 1% of all trees in Urbana, and among the top 5% of all sugar maples.

The parkway sugar maple was nominated by Susan and Claude Cole who live nearby and appreciate the character this 75-year-old tree adds to their neighborhood. 

Golden raintree

Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
715 W. Washington Street
Size Designation, 2015

At an estimated 45-foot height, this tree is the largest of its variety on city parkways, and also boasts an unusual multi-stem trunk, with its largest stem measuring 19 inches in circumference.

Urbana City Arborist Mike Brunk notes that the tree is of Asian origin, introduced into cultivation in 1763, and features paper-like lantern pods and yellow flowers in June.

 

European Ash

‘Hessei’ European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior ‘Hessei’)
2316 S. Cottage Grove Avenue
Rarity Designation, 2015

This 43-foot tree is the only European single-leaved Ash in the City of Urbana tree inventory. It has a spread of 60 feet.

With the threat of Emerald Ash Borer spreading across Illinois and found to be present in Urbana and Champaign trees, this Ash was treated with a preventive injection in June 2015.

 

Tulip

Compact Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Ardis’)
705 S. Busey Avenue
Rarity Designation, 2015

Standing at 45 feet, this compact variety of the Tuliptree is the only known ‘Ardis’ variety in Urbana. Considered rare in the nursery industry, this example also boasts a 35-foot spread.

According to historical records, it’s believed this tree was planted by University of Illinois Horticulture Professor and Plantsman Joseph C. McDaniel.

 

Chesnut Oak

Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
711 W. Main Street
Size Designation, 2015

With matching height and spread at 85 feet each, this is the largest Chestnut Oak on Urbana city parkways, and large for its species in general.

Formerly called Quercus prinus, the tree is also known as Basket Oak, Rock Oak or Rock Chestnut Oak.

 

Broadway maple

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
724 S. Broadway Avenue
Size Designation, 2016

In a way, this sugar maple played a role in the City’s passage of the Legacy Tree ordinance in 2013. The tree was the focus of public discussion in 2002 when it was threatened with a devastating clearance pruning associated with the potential relocation of a home from Washington Street to Broadway Avenue. This action would have destroyed the tree’s full crown and structure.The house didn’t get moved, but the City gained new understanding of how deeply residents care about their trees — information that helped bring about this program to celebrate, recognize and protect Urbana’s most significant trees.

Already listed as “notable” in Urbana’s tree inventory, the more than 100-year-old specimen has a height of 61 feet and a crown spread of 75 feet, placing it among the top 1% — or among the best 11 — of all sugar maples in Urbana.

 White Oak at Leal

White Oak (Quercus alba)
303 W. University Broadway Avenue (Leal Park)
Size Designation, 2016

In addition to its size and age, this tree has historic significance due to its location in Leal Park on the grounds of the Greek Revival Cottage, the oldest documented residence in Urbana.

Because this White Oak was living at the time of the signing of the United States Constitution, the International Society of Arboriculture has designated it as a bicentennial tree.

Already listed as “notable” in Urbana’s tree inventory, the oak has a height of 81 feet and a crown spread of 105 feet, placing its size among the top 1% of all inventoried trees of its species in Urbana.

 

Bur Oak at LealBur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
303 W. University Broadway Avenue (Leal Park)
Size Designation, 2016

This tree is part of the area’s original forested area, known as Big Grove, and is also located in Urbana Park District’s Leal Park near the Greek Revival Cottage, the oldest documented residence in Urbana.

With its crown and structural condition rated as excellent, this well cared for oak has a height of 81 feet and a crown spread of 98 feet, placing its size among the top 1% of all inventoried trees of its species in Urbana.

 

Burr Oak at Cottage GroveBur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
2207 S. Cottage Grove Avenue
Aesthetics Designation, 2017 

Nominated by its owners, this more than 50-year-old Bur Oak earned Legacy status for its outstanding full, open structure.

In addition, with its height of 64 feet and a crown spread of 80 feet, the tree’s size places it ninth in size of all Bur Oaks in Urbana’s tree inventory.

 

Chinkapin at East MainChinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
1904 E. Main Street
Size Designation, 2017

Another tree on the grounds of the Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting, this Chinkapin Oak is one of the largest known of its species in Urbana. With its height of 74 feet and crown spread of 70 feet, it easily ranks in the top 1% of all inventoried trees of its type in the city.

It is also recognized for its rarity and for its age of 100 years or more.

 

Chinese ChestnutChinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima)
1402 E. Florida Avenue
Rarity Designation, 2017 

Already listed as “notable” in Urbana’s tree inventory, this chestnut is one of only three of its species on Urbana right-of-way. The tree’s height of 28 feet and crown spread of 34 feet places it as the largest of those three.

Located on Florida Avenue parkway, the tree is rated in very good condition with very little dead wood.

 

American HophornbeamAmerican Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
204-206 W. Washington Street
Rarity Designation, 2017  

This pair of parkway trees is among only 30 of the species in Urbana, qualifying them as rare and among species that are under 1% of all of the city’s inventoried trees. The trees exhibit shaggy strip-like bark and hop-like fruit that are characteristic of the species.

With heights of 30 feet and crown spreads of 53 and 48 feet, they also rank as first and fourth largest of their species in Urbana. 

Bur Oak on E. MainBur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
1904 E. Main Street
Historic Designation, 2018 

This Bur Oak, on the grounds of the Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting, can trace its beginnings back to 1761 in the original forested area known as Big Grove. Nominated by representatives of the property owner, the tree earned Legacy status for its history in Urbana before the time of the American Revolution.

In addition to its historic significance, the tree is also distinguished for its size, age, location and aesthetics. Already listed as “notable” in Urbana’s tree inventory, the oak has a height of 98 feet and a crown spread of 108 feet. Its size is in the top 1% of all inventoried trees of its type in Urbana.

The tree was honored in 1976 by the International Society of Arboriculture as one of 50 bicentennial trees in the country. Its structural condition is rated as excellent and its overall condition as very good.
Illinois Times article from March 1985

 

Green Ash on Pennsylvania

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
604 W. Pennsylvania Avenue
Rarity Designation, 2018

This Green Ash in the front yard at 604 W. Pennsylvania is among the largest of remaining ash trees on public or private property in Urbana. It has earned Legacy status for its rarity in surviving the emerald ash borer.

The 41-inch diameter tree with a height of 80 feet was nominated by owners Jed and Mary Ann Bunyan, who saved the Green Ash by starting injection treatments in 2011 to thwart the devastating effects of the emerald ash borer. With a crown spread of 88 feet, the tree’s size places it in the top 1% of inventoried trees of its species.

The Bunyans are dedicated to maintaining the treatments in order to preserve the tree for as long as they own the property.

 

Board/Commissions: 
- Last Modified -January 23, 2019 - 1:46pm
- Author - admin