Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

Appendix D - 2
Trees and the Public Realm (Draft)
Medium round trees (between 9 and 15m, height and spread approximately equal)
► Field Maple (Acer campestre)
The only native maple to the British Isles, Field Maple has an irregularly shaped crown with small leaves
on irregularly spaced branches. It can reach 25m, but often only 10-15m in urban environments. It is
tolerant of any soil and hard surfaces, making it very suitable for urban streets.
► Common Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Common Hornbeam is indigenous to the south of England and prevalent in the forests that once
surrounded London. In it's fastigiated form it represents an ideal street tree, being columnar and compact
(although growing up to 30m in height in unrestricted locations). It is also a tough tree tolerating pollution
and compacted soils. Slow growing and densely branched, it produces rounded crown when mature. It
bears fruits which in no way resemble those borne by any other British tree and grow in clusters that hang
in long tassels during April and May.
► Swedish Whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia)
Swedish Whitebeam has a densely branched pyramidal shaped crown which broadens with age. It
produces conspicuous white spring flowers followed in autumn by clusters of red spherical fruits.
Swedish Whitebeam tolerates dry soils and hard surfaces and is suitable for parks and streets
Small round trees (less than 9m, height and spread approximately equal)
► Snowy Mespilus (Amelanchier ‘Lamarckii)
Snowy Mespilus has a vase-shaped crown comprised of fine branches and produces attractive small
white flowers in spring with a reliable autumn colour. It is tolerant of most soils and hard surfaces and is
suitable for small gardens and streets where space is limited.
► Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
This is a small native thorny shrub up to 10m in height, with a broad spreading compact crown of
congested branches. It is not invasive and its adaptability has given rise to around 35 different species of
Hawthorn which flourish in a range of soils. Common Hawthorn has fragrant white flowers in May, and
deep red fruits which attract wildlife. This species Tolerates most soils and urban conditions and is
particularly effective for reducing ozone concentration in urban areas.
► Crab apple (Malus ‘Liset’)
Round shaped crown of dense purple leaves. Tolerant of most soils just one of the many apple cultivars
that can be selected from a wide range of crown shapes, flower size and colour.
Large columner trees (over 15m, height greater than spread)
► False acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia)
A Fast growing tree with an irregular oval to rounded crown, False acacia has widely spaced branches
which cast light shade. It is tolerant of most soils and copes well with dry conditions and is suitable for
parks, streets and large gardens.
► Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
A fast growing tree with straight central trunk, the Tulip Tree has crown which broadens significantly with
age. It is tolerant of all soils and hard surfaces and is effective at absorbing nitrogen oxides and ozone.
Suitable for parks, avenue and specimen planting.