Innovative Approaches to Establishing Trees in Harsh Environments

It's no secret: urban planting sites can be harsh. Even if you put aside the alternating cycles of extreme heat and hard freeze and the extended droughts and flooding we are now experiencing across North America, many of our planting sites have severely compacted and contaminated soil. Our collective challenge is not only keeping trees alive and thriving, but also reducing storm water runoff, out-competing invasive pests, and stabilizing and improving planting sites. In this webinar, the Forest Service and City of Philadelphia discussed innovative tree planting and establishment practices for harsh sites, from testing and cloning sterile and fast-growing poplar and willow trees in nurseries to planting and monitoring climate-adapted tree species on vacant lots.