New! Chester County Recommended Tree List
Posted April 11, 2025
Choosing the right trees for new developments is a decision that has lasting impacts on a development's quality of place, ability to manage stormwater, soil protection, shade, and ecological benefits. But given the changing climate and emerging diseases, trees that thrive today may not thrive in the future, making tree selection not as simple as it once was.
To help guide municipalities with reviewing development proposals that involve large-scale tree plantings, the Chester County Planning Commission developed a Chester County Recommended Tree List. The list was developed by compiling all the species of trees often cited throughout the region and removing those that are not native to the Eastern US (with a few evergreen exceptions). Additionally, the remaining species were assessed based on their tolerance to changing climate conditions, existing and emerging diseases and pests, and their availability at wholesale nurseries.
The list was reviewed by arborists, land stewards, and other experts, and will be updated as conditions change and in response to how trees are performing in the built environment.
You can access the list as both a PDF and an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet contains a full list of species reviewed, including those that are no longer recommended due to their disease susceptibility; likelihood of poor adaptation to a warmer, wetter climate; or lack of commercial availability. The list is broken out into recommend street trees, evergreens, and trees for naturalized areas and riparian buffers.