Street Trees Advice required

[khawarissslam]

As.Salamu alikum members

The rainy season "Sawan" is about to start and this can be best to plant a Shade tree or Street tree. I need information and recommendation about street trees available in local nurseries. I have seen Alstonia all around in my neighborhood but it grows too tall that it can disturb electrical wires and neigh-borers. you are requested to share names of street trees which can provide sufficient shade for car parking outside the gate.

Viewers of this post are requested to participate and share your knowledge. It shall award you inner satisfaction here on earth and eternal peace on life after this life. thanks

[M Farooq]

As.Salamu alikum members

The rainy season "Sawan" is about to start and this can be best to plant a Shade tree or Street tree. I need information and recommendation about street trees available in local nurseries. I have seen Alstonia all around in my neighborhood but it grows too tall that it can disturb electrical wires and neigh-borers. you are requested to share names of street trees which can provide sufficient shade for car parking outside the gate.

Viewers of this post are requested to participate and share your knowledge. It shall award you inner satisfaction here on earth and eternal peace on life after this life. thanks

With so many prayers I thought to be the first one to reply :-)

Among my favourites for streets are:

1. Neem tree (if it grows in Jhelum)
2. Conocarpus (there is apparently no local name in Urdu, but nurserymen are aware of it)

Both are fast growing handsome trees with strong wood and beautiful canopy for shade. Neem sheds leaves in the fall but Conocarpus is always green. You should keep in mind that strong winds can easily break certain trees, the most famous one is safaida tree (Eucalyptus). You would not like to grow sufaida near the car :-)

Regards,
Farooq

[Farhan Ahmed]

I guess any tree that is big enough to provide shade to a car will be atleast 15-20 Ft which is the same height as electric poles/wires. I advice to select your tree freely, and prune it in upon growth in direction of wires....to avoid wires getting struck.

[khawarissslam]

As.Salamu alikum members

The rainy season "Sawan" is about to start and this can be best to plant a Shade tree or Street tree. I need information and recommendation about street trees available in local nurseries. I have seen Alstonia all around in my neighborhood but it grows too tall that it can disturb electrical wires and neigh-borers. you are requested to share names of street trees which can provide sufficient shade for car parking outside the gate.

Viewers of this post are requested to participate and share your knowledge. It shall award you inner satisfaction here on earth and eternal peace on life after this life. thanks

With so many prayers I thought to be the first one to reply

Among my favourites for streets are:

1. Neem tree (if it grows in Jhelum)
2. Conocarpus (there is apparently no local name in Urdu, but nurserymen are aware of it)

Both are fast growing handsome trees with strong wood and beautiful canopy for shade. Neem sheds leaves in the fall but Conocarpus is always green. You should keep in mind that strong winds can easily break certain trees, the most famous one is safaida tree (Eucalyptus). You would not like to grow sufaida near the car

Regards,
Farooq

MaSha Allah
Nice sharing, Farooq Bhai you prove your name in replying different and better as per your knowledge and likes.
I have seen Canocarpus now on google, not clear but I shall visit local nursery to check it. Please comment on Alstonia as my sorrounding in Jhelum cantt is full of this evergreen tree.

And neem tress is surely too high to touch electrical cables. However it is useful tree no doubt.
Thanx

[M Farooq]

Thanks. I think Alstonia's wood is not very strong. Although this tree is very beautiful, the factors that we should keep in mind are: the speed of growth of Alstonia and Conocarpus, the shape of the canopy, wood strength and last but not the least pests. Neem is essentially pest free. My suggestion is not to grow something which has a "soft" wood, especially if it is planned as a shade for car parking. Neem's height can be controlled by frequent trimming.

Another popular tree is peepal (Ficus religiosa) but I guess it is very slow grower, but another Ficus (I don't know the full name) is very fast grower with decent qualities. Discuss the options with the nursery man :-)

[Farhan Ahmed]

Concarpus does not make a canopy naturally....it will require special training.
Alstonia wood is quite strong

[M Farooq]

Concarpus does not make a canopy naturally....it will require special training.
Alstonia wood is quite strong :-)

My info on Alstonia was based on http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/s ... 0Tree.html.

If my memory is serving right, Conocarpus has two types (which I saw in our neighbourhood). The ones ,we had,are relatively tall the so called Conocarpus erectus type, and then there are tree type Conocarpus, with a wide canopy. What is the full name of that Conocarpus?

[Farhan Ahmed]

Not the main stem....yes side shoots are soft but the discussion on flora of India is in context of making furniture etc. Alstonia Branches do not break at all as i have observed in winds as high as 80 KPH. "lachak, greenish side stems, canopy style which stops wind penetrating deep"....makes it very hardy to high winds.....Planted all along the avenue here..i am yet to see a broken twig or for that matter leaves(except one odd old leaf) fallen.

Another example is Mulberry....Mulberry wood is soft enough to bend and is made into baskets and stuff but believe you me its so hard to break. I have 2 mulberry trees and i make tunnels structure with them for frost protection by bending the side shoots. It does not break, spoil due to soil contact etc. Very hardy.

[Rafaiy]

Another tree which you can try is lagerstroemia. Its a hardy tree which can cope with our summers well and those beautiful flowers look great in scorching heat.

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

lagerstroemia is a shrub(SMALL TREE) not a true tree, so cannot serve as a shady tree as required by khawarissslam