A² Streetscapes
Protecting street trees and increasing biodiversity through native plantings.
Request a Streetscape for a Street Tree Near You
Would you like the City to install native plants around a street tree near you? Click the button to the right to fill out our interest form and we will get back to you soon!
Welcome
Through the A2 Streetscapes program, the City plants native groundcover species around City-owned street trees. These plants help to protect the trees from mechanical damage (for example, from lawn mowers), increase biodiversity along our streets, and improve stormwater infiltration and retention.
Plants installed through this program are native, well adapted to the urban environment, and typically do not exceed the maximum height restrictions for vegetation located in the City right-of-way. However, property owners are responsible for the maintenance of the right-of-way adjacent to their property, including any plants installed through the A²ZERO Streetscapes program.
Why Plant a Streetscape?
There are many benefits to planting native species around our street trees. Some of these benefits are listed below:
- A leading cause of damages and death to young street trees is mechanical damage from equipment such as lawn mowers and weed whippers. By planting native groundcover around the base of a tree, the need for using such equipment is removed and the tree is physically protected by the plants.
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Native plants provide habitat and food for pollinators, which are a key part of our ecosystems.
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Native plants help to increase stormwater infiltration and improve water quality.
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Native plants don't rely on lawn mowers or weed whippers for maintenance, meaning you'll cut down on the noise pollution and soil compaction caused by lawn mowers, as well as the carbon emissions of fossil fuel-based lawn care equipment.
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Supporting a wide variety of native plants increases biodiversity, which is essential to healthy ecosystems and the services they provide.
What Native Plants Do We Use?
There are many native plant species that are well-adapted to an urban environment and adhere to safety-related height restrictions. A few of these species that we use in our Streetscapes are:
- Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
- Golden Groundsel (Packera aurea)
- Hairy Penstemon (Penstemon hirsutus)
- Goldenrod (such as Solidago nemoralis or Solidago caesia)
- Bluejacket (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Did You Receive a Door Hanger?
If you received a door hanger for the A2 Streetscapes program, that means a street tree adjacent to your property has been selected for the program! Most likely this is a young street tree in need of protection.
If you would like for the Streetscape to be installed, then no action is needed from you! We will be by to plant native groundcover species around the tree soon.
If you would like to opt out of the program, please email Sean Reynolds, OSI Senior Analyst, at sreynolds@a2gov.org with the subject line "A2 Streetscapes Opt Out" and include the street address where you received your door hanger.
If you are interested in the program but have questions, please email Sean Reynolds, OSI Senior Analyst, at sreynolds@a2gov.org with the subject line "A2 Streetscapes Questions" and include the street address where you received your door hanger.
