Landscaping is a significant factor in maintaining the livability and economic viability of our community. Trees provide shade and shelter, help conserve energy, moderate local climate in developed areas, assist in preventing erosion of soils, and eliminate pollutants from the air. 

The City of Grants Pass has adopted standards for the planting and maintenance of street trees which are contained in Article 23 of the City of Grants Pass Development Code. The information presented here is a summary of those standards and is general in nature. Please see Section 23.070 for more specific requirements.

All development, residential and commercial, fronting on public or private streets is required to plant street trees in accordance with the following standards: 

Location, Spacing, Placement and Pruning of Street Trees

• Street trees shall be located outside of street right-of-way except in cases where there is a designated planting strip in the right-of-way. 
• Small or narrow stature trees (under 25 feet, less than 16 feet wide) may be spaced at any interval 20 feet apart or greater.  Medium sized trees (25 to 40 feet tall, 16 to 35 feet wide) may be spaced at any interval 30 feet apart or greater.  Large trees (over 40 feet, more than 35 feet wide) may be spaced at any interval 40 feet or greater.
• Trees shall not be planted closer than 25 feet from the curb line of intersections of streets or alleys, nor closer than 5 feet from private driveways (measured at the back edge of the sidewalk), fire hydrants, or utility poles.
• Street trees shall not be planted closer than 20 feet to light poles.
• Trees shall not be planted closer than 2-1/2 feet from the face of the curb except at intersections where it shall be 5 feet from the curb, in a curb return area.
• Where there are overhead power lines, tree species are to be chosen that will not interfere with those lines.
• Trees shall not be planted within 2 feet of any permanent hard surface paving or walkway.  Space between the tree and such hard surface may be covered by nonpermanent hard surfaces such as grates, bricks on sand, paver blocks, cobblestones, etc.  This means that sidewalk cuts in concrete for tree planting shall be at least 4 X 4 feet to help allow for air and water into the root area.
• Trees, as they grow, shall be pruned to provide at least 8 feet of clearance above sidewalks and 12 feet above street roadway surfaces.

Approved Street Trees

The following tree species are recommended for use as street trees:

Small Trees
Small or narrow stature trees (under 25 feet, less than 20 feet wide) may be spread at any interval 20 feet apart or greater.  Sidewalk cuts to be a minimum of 4 x 4.

• Acer Ginnala Flame - Flame maple
• Cornus Florida - Flowering Dogwood
• Pyrus Calleryana - Aristocrat - Aristocrat Pear
• Pyrus calleryana - Glens Form - chanticleer flowering pear
• Prunus Sargentii "columnaris" - sargent columnar cherry
• Cercis Canadensis - Eastern Redbud

Medium Trees
Medium size tree (25-40 feet tall, 16-35 feet wide) may be spread at any interval 30 feet apart or greater.  Sidewalk cuts to be a minimum of 5 x 5.

• Acer platanoides "crimson king" - crimson king maple
• Prunus serrulata "kwanzan" - kwanzan cherry
• Cercis canadensis - eastern redbud
• Acer Rubrum “October Glory” - October Glory maple
• Pyrus calleryana "redspire" - Redspire pear
• Nyssa Sylvatica - Black Tupelo
• Prunus subhirtella "autumnalis Rosea" - autumn flowering cherry

Large Trees
Large trees (over 40 feet, more than 35 feet wide) may be spaced at any interval 40 feet or greater.  Sidewalk cuts minimum 6 x 6.

• Acer Rubrum “Armstrong” - Armstrong Maple
• Acer Rubrum “Franksred” - Red Sunset Maple
• Fraxinus Oxycarpa “Raywood” - Raywood Ash
• Tilia cordata “Greenspire” - Greenspire Linden
• Acer Saccharum “Green Mountain” - Sugar Maple
• Fraxinus Americana “Junginger” - Autumn Purple Ash
• Quercus palustris - pin oak
• Liriodendron tulipifera - tulip tree
• Fraxinus Pennsylvanica “Marshall” - Marshall Ash

Trees to be planted Under Power Lines
Small Trees - small or narrow trees (under 25 feet, less than 20 feet wide) may be spread at any interval 20 feet apart or greater. Sidewalk cuts to be a minimum 4 x 4.

• Cercis Canadensis - Eastern Redbud
• Acer Ginnala - Flame Maple
• Cornus Kousa - Kousa Dogwood
• Prunus Cerasifera “Thundercloud” - Thundercloud Plum

Prohibited Street Trees: 
The following tree species are prohibited from use as street trees as their roots cause injury to sewers, pavements, and sidewalks:

• Salix spp - willows
• Populus spp - cottonwoods/poplars

Street Trees Not Recommended: 
The following tree species are not recommended for use as street trees, for the reasons listed after each species.  These trees may be planted if the problems are satisfactorily met and accepted by the owner, and so noted on the site plan.  Some are desirable trees in the right situation.

• Acer macrophyllum - big leaf maple; roots cause injury to sewers and pavement.
• Acer Negundo - box elder; subject to wind damage.
• Ailanthus - tree-of-haven; short lived, invasive roots.
• Albizzia julibrissi - silk tree; litter, aggressive roots.
• Alnus rubra -red alder; short lived, brittle, favorite of tent caterpillars.
• Betula spp - birches; aphids, low branching, invasive roots, injury to sewers, pavements.
• Catalpa - invasive roots, short lived, messy sidewalk problems.
• Crataegus spp - hawthorns; insects and disease prone, aphids.
• Platanus spp - sycamore, london plane; vigorous roots, damage to sidewalks, sewers, serious anthracnose disease.
• Robinia pseudoalacia - a black locust; brittle, hazard, aggressive roots, thorny.
• Sorbus ausuparia - mountain ash; large crop messy fruits may be sidewalk hazard.
• Ulmus spp - elms; elm leaf beetle, Dutch elm disease, roots break walks, cause sewer problems.
• Liquidambar Styraciflua - Invasive root system, damage to curbs, gutters, and utilities.
• Fruit trees - litter
• Nut trees - litter
• Conifers - needles, low branching