Urban Forestry

Street trees grow along roads and are generally located in the tree lawn, an area between the street and sidewalk. The tree lawn is within the street right-of-way and is public property, as are the trees.

Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s Forestry section is responsible for the planting, pruning and the removal of trees on public property including parks, city properties and street right-of-way.

For tree maintenance requests of city trees or any other forestry-related concerns, contact the City 311 Service Center at 614-645-3111 or visit 311.columbus.gov. Service requests are prioritized based on the impact to public health and safety and the City’s resources. If you prefer to pay a certified arborist to complete the work, see the question below about getting a permit.

If you want to plant a street tree, prune a street tree, treat a street tree for disease or remove a street tree, you will need to hire a certified arborist who will then request a permit from Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s Forestry section. The permit is free, and a City arborist will inspect the tree or site first. The professional contractor will need to complete the work and comply with all of the specifications of the permit. To inquire about a permit and an inspection from a city arborist, contact the City 311 Service Center at 614-645-3111 or visit 311.columbus.gov.

A city arborist will make an inspection of the city tree to determine if it meets the criteria for tree removal. Trees are removed when they become dead, dying or dangerous.

Sign up for the Urban Forestry Master Plan Updates to learn about implementing the plan and volunteer information to learn about tree planting events.

Sign up here.

PLANT AND PRUNE THE TREES ON YOUR PROPERTY.Columbus has ambitious canopy goals, and most trees grow on private property. Planting, preserving and caring for trees is crucial for increasing tree canopy, and we will need everyone’s help to reach our canopy goals. Learn some helpful tips about how to plant a tree in your yard! The actions you take affect the entire urban forest. If you already have trees planted in your yard, keep them heathy by pruning them.

DONATE TO COLUMBUS’ URBAN FOREST.The nonprofit Columbus Recreation and Parks Foundation can accept donations and grants for urban forestry activities. These activities include planting trees on public land, providing trees to residents and businesses to plant on private land, maintaining current trees, and conducting research, planning or marketing activities that can help grow and maintain our tree canopy.

Donate via the Columbus Recreation and Parks Foundation.

Residents can request a street tree by contacting 311. You can call the City 311 Service Center at 614-645-3111 or visit 311.columbus.gov.

We mark curbs for planting throughout the year, but only plant during two planting seasons: spring and fall. The spring planting season starts in March and runs through early May. The fall planting season starts in October and runs through December.

We are more selective about the types of trees that we plant now, and we make sure to only plant trees that are appropriate for the width of your particular tree lawn. Some tree lawns are only wide enough to accommodate a small ornamental tree, while others are wide enough to accommodate a species that will eventually be very large. In the past, trees were planted in some tree lawns that were too small for the future size of that tree, and the roots eventually pushed up the sidewalk. We also avoid trees with surface roots to minimize potential issues with the sidewalk in the future.

Tree roots usually do not have the strength to cause damage to utility lines themselves. Whenever tree roots are found inside one of those lines, it is due to an existing compromise that allowed the roots to get through. We still take this into account when we pick the planting site, and will adjust, if necessary, after the utility lines are marked.

We contact Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS) to mark all utility lines prior to planting. If the planting site we marked is going to interfere with some other part of your home, contact us to have the site reinspected. We will also make adjustments on planting day if necessary. For example, if we find a water valve that was not marked, we will move the planting site if there is room.

Note: OUPS does not mark private drain/irrigation lines. If our planting marking is near your drain/irrigation line, contact us prior to planting.

Yes, please water your new tree during the first two years. For more information on that, please see questions further down.

Yes. We will return within 18 months to remove the stakes. If the stakes are still there after that time, contact 311 to notify us, and someone will come out as soon as possible. Please don’t try to remove them yourself.

No, only Forestry staff and permittees are able to maintain a public tree. We will conduct all maintenance needed for the new tree; we only ask for your help with watering. Forestry staff will return to prune the tree during the third winter after it was installed. After that time, if the tree looks like it needs any pruning, submit a 311 request, and a member of the Forestry staff will inspect it.

There is no need for you to be home when we plant your new tree. We only need access to the right-of-way, which is the grassy area the City owns next to the street. We can usually work around any vehicles that are parked in front of the planting site.

Unfortunately, we are not able to notify you of the exact date and time we will arrive on your street to plant.

Submit a 311 request if you think it looks stressed or unhealthy. A member of the Forestry staff will come inspect.

Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s Forestry section handles all maintenance of the tree. We ask for your help watering during its first two years of growth and annual mulching.

Yes. After the stump is removed, we will be able to plant a new tree. Due to our backlog for stump removals, this may extend the timeline for your new tree.

You must obtain a permit from Forestry to plant a tree in the City’s right-of-way. There is no application fee for the Forestry permit. We inspect the planting site and approve the type of tree that you wish to plant. Some trees, such as fruit trees, are prohibited. Once the permit is approved, planting must be done by a nursery, landscaper or tree care company.

Yes, we would appreciate your help with this. Currently, we do not have a program to regularly water new street trees.

Immediately! A new tree is thirsty, and it needs help getting through the stress of transplanting.

If the weather forecast does not predict at least one to two inches of rain for the week, you can either use a hose at a slow trickle for 15-20 minutes, or a bucket or watering can to add five to 10 gallons. Both only need to be done once a week during the summer, but during extended periods without rain, watering may be needed multiple times per week. Watering isn’t as critical during the winter dormant season.

There is no need for you to add any more mulch! We’ve added the appropriate amount of mulch already. Deep mulch can suffocate roots and kill the tree. You can re-mulch once per year, if needed, to eliminate weed and turf competition near the tree. Mulch should be chipped wood or bark and applied no more than two to three inches deep. Be sure to keep the mulch at least 2 inches away from the trunk and avoid creating a “mulch volcano” (you can find more information on that here). This can be very harmful to the tree and potentially cause decline or death.

After two years, the roots of the new tree will have been sufficiently established to survive on its own. By this time, watering is not necessary except for during extended periods of drought.

Thank you for helping us improve Columbus’ tree canopy by watering your street tree! We appreciate it!