Stow trees are getting older while the developments keep coming

Post-war shade trees and subdivision pears

Much of Stow was built out from the 1950s through the 1990s, and the trees show it. The older streets have big oaks and maples that are now sixty or seventy years old, many of them planted when the houses went up. The newer subdivisions were often landscaped with Callery and Bradford pears, which grow fast, look good for fifteen years and then start splitting apart.

That gives Stow a split workload. On one side, structural pruning and assessments for mature oaks and maples that are worth keeping. On the other, planned removal of pears and other short-lived trees before a storm makes the decision for you. We look at both with the same question: what is this tree likely to do in the next ten years, and what is under it?

Creek corridors and wooded lot lines

Fish Creek and the smaller streams that feed it run behind a lot of Stow backyards, and many lots back up to a strip of woods. Those edges are where we see dead ash, leaning trees and limbs hanging over fences and sheds. A tree at the back of the lot is easy to ignore until it lands on the neighbor's garage.

Wet creek-side soils also change how trees behave. Roots stay shallow in saturated ground, and shallow-rooted trees are more likely to tip in a wet spring storm. If you have a tree leaning toward a structure near a creek, it's worth a look before the next round of heavy rain. Stow's parks, from Silver Springs to the Adell Durbin arboretum, show what well-managed trees look like on similar ground.

Working within Stow's street tree program

Stow manages trees along its streets through its urban forestry program and a street tree district. The city's tree management plan also spells out what happens when a private tree threatens the right-of-way: if a tree is dead or poses a hazard to the street or sidewalk, the property owner is notified in writing and given thirty days to correct it.

If you've received one of those letters, call us. We can usually assess the tree within a few days, give you a written scope and schedule the work inside the city's window. And if the tree in question is actually a city street tree, we'll tell you so you can contact the city instead of paying for work that isn't yours to do.

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