Smallest Brisbane City Council Street Tree

meshell

I am nearing the end of a major house renovation. I paid over $20,000 to have my house raised to see the city views.

Brisbane City Council are looking at planting a street tree in front of my place. There are no powerlines on my side of the street and I am truly happy they're going to plant a tree.

I spoke with the BCC guy and voiced my concern that I have just paid heaps to have my house raised and am now scared it was all in vain because the tree will one day block the views. He told me because there are different types of trees in my street I can choose which tree I want from the BCC list.

I really like the Tabebuia impetiginosa (pink trumpet tree) & also the Delonix regia (poinciana).

My problem is I don't know which tree will not grow too big to block my views. Is there a BCC street tree that is on the small height side?


Can anyone help?

Eric Frei

Need to know what suburb you are in. Need to get an idea on root space for the tree, do not be shy Google street view it or take pictures.

Also at what tree height will views start to get blocked?

Trees are supposed to be crown lifted 2.5m above footpaths and 4.5m to 5m above roads, so whatever grows unless it is columnar it will be pruned to grow upwards.

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meshell

I live in Greenslopes. The footpath area is really quite large. The BCC guy said I could plant a poinciana because there was enough room for the roots but he was unsure how high it would grow.

My house is approx 3m from the ground level.

Hope this helps.

redmower

Tabebuia impetiginosa native to south America

Delonix endangered species native to Madagascar


Australia = home to hundreds of endemic native trees so I feel obliged to wave the aussie flag a bit

Now I don't have any idea of your footpath site conditions so I am going to go further out on a skinny limb here and suggest you dump the council worker's Delonix for an Aust. native that does at least as good a job

My examples to get you started: Illawarra flame tree, or Pittosporum rhombifolium or Harpulia pendula or so many others to chose from. And no, sorry I don't sell or market them at all. I just happen to believe we are missing a lot of excellent choice in street plantings.

If I was any sort of cameraman I could post a few choice shots of these and other specimen street trees in Aust. endemics. Perhaps there is already a thread for this topic elsewhere on TreeWorld (confessing my ignorance here).

Eric Frei

Poinciana will have the widest crown.

I reckon in years to come you are snookered at only 3m above ground level no matter what tree you choose.

I'd go Golden Penda, they struggle in clay and grow slow, your best chance of keeping a view.

Whatever the tree do not be kind to it so it grows slower.

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meshell

Thanks Redmower,

Unfortunatly, I can only pick a tree from the Brisbane City Council street tree list:

Types of street trees
Listed below are the types of street trees that are currently used in Brisbane City Council's street planting programs.

Trees suitable under powerlines golden penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus)
ivory curl flower (Buckinghamia celsissima)
Kaffir bean (Schotia brachypetala)
native wisteria tree (Pongamia pinnata)
pink bottlebrush (Callistemon 'Eureka')
poinciana (Delonix regia)
silver trumpet tree (Tabebuia argentea)
tulipwood (Harpullia pendula)

Trees on footpaths 4.5 metres or greater
These tree must have more than 1.5 metres clearance from the kerb or footpath strip.
jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia)
poinciana (Delonix regia)

General street trees broad leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquinervia)
brush box (Lophostemon confertus)
bumpy Ash (Flindersia schottiana)
cassod tree (Cassia siamea)
crows Ash (Flindersia australis)
pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia rosea)
small leaved lilly pilly (Syzygium leuhmanii)
tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides)
weeping paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendron)
weeping satinash (Waterhousea floribunda)
yellow poinciana (Peltophorum pterocarpum)
leopard tree (Caesalpinea ferrea)**
**Leopard trees can only be used as new or replacement trees in city centre significant streetscapes and will not be used for plantings in residential suburban streets

Eric Frei

For you in that list here's my choice based on view retention.

weeping paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendron)

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Apocalypsse

Can you plant a tree yourself? Council will own it and prune it but at least you can put in something that doesn't grow big.

Brent Ferris

Wouldn't it be better to pick a tree that grows tall, and keeps the live branches near the top of the crown, and then the only view you will lose will be of the trunk?

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

meshell

I did ask the council rep if I could buy my own tree and plant it myself. The response was 'no'. However, I was told I can pick any tree from their list.

r32

Not too sure if you can negotiate to have Xanthostemon youngii instead, in practice I've found they grow much slower that X. chrysanthus. Red instead of yellow inflorescences though.

Done it

That's a nice tree, but I don't think it's available.

Callistemon 'Eureka' is popular around here, and I like Eric's one Melaleuca leucadendron.

silent 2035

Meshell,

I would choose the crows Ash (Flindersia australis), don't get scared by the size which you might read in books as the road reserve soil environment dwarfs the tree species. Slow growing and allows lots of opportunity to achieve the desired pruning profile without disfiguring the tree canopy.

redmower

Silent 2035

Agree with the crow's ash choice. and nice to see many running with the native theme, I have been a closet opponent of the exotics in street plantings. Shows undeveloped sense of Aussie patriotism.

I also like your observation that street planting sites often present a restrictive environment limiting the growth of many species, depending on soils, aspect and other site conditions.

A question for you to ponder over. Many of the better street trees up here tend to be those that come from riparian habitats especially weeping bottlebrush, paperbarks. These species have presumably adapted to getting smashed by floods and can handle frequent pruning and often savage topping, say under powerlines. But for the sake of the discussion I'll avoid further reference to powerlines.

Forest trees like the crows ash are less frequently exposed to wind damage as are the likes of the riparian species, so I am inclined to think that forest species may not cope with frequent pruning as well as those evolving in a physically brutal environment. Compare river oak with forest oak - I suggest that the river oak is far better at wound recovery. (not good street trees but they do illustrate the point).

Maybe others can share their thoughts.

RM

silent 2035

Redmower

What genus/species a river/forest oak? Casuarina

I believe crows ash can tolerate high wind such as busy major roads and because of their slow growing rate decreases the associated maintenance burden.

redmower

Forest oak Allocasuarina torulosa formerly (Casuarina torulosa)
river oak Casuarina equisetifolia

I am not suggesting they are street trees. My point was to illustrate the contrast between their respective abilities to respond to physical damage. The river oak copes much better.

silent 2035

Redmower

point taken. Out of interest have you observed any notiable body lanuage with the Oaks in relation to fungal colonisation?