Tree replacement project in Murfreesboro continues

Nov 20, 2014 at 12:10 pm by bryan


Renovations to the Phase IV of the City of Murfreesboro Street Tree Replacement Project is scheduled to resume in late November and early December, weather permitting. Phase IV replaces street trees in the downtown historic business district.

"The City Urban Environmental Department wasn't able to complete Phase IV last year due to unavailable size requirements and quantities of the 'Natchez' Crape Myrtles," said Urban Environmental (UED) Director Cynthia Holloway. "We are eager to resume this work in the downtown area where so many of our citizens and visitors come to enjoy the city's history and appreciate our landscape work."

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A landscape contractor has been selected to complete portions of the project over the next two to three months. Over the next few weeks, dead and dying trees will be removed by the Urban Environmental Department from landscape islands within the historic downtown area in anticipation of the new replacements. During this phase tree stumps will be removed and 'Bosque Elms' will be planted. As weather warms in the spring, 'Natchez' Crape Myrtles, a flowering ornamental tree, will be installed as part of Phase V.

During Phase I, the 'Bosque' Elm was selected as the canopy tree to replace the 'Halka' Honey Locust. This tree grows into an upright oval form and unlike the Honey Locust it has very little leaf or seed pod litter.

"The 'Bosque' has exhibited incredible heat and drought tolerance and does very well as a street tree in narrow or restricted planting areas," said Holloway. "My favorite feature is its puzzle-like exfoliating bark for year round interest."

UED had to be careful to select tree species that are resistant to several diseases affecting the existing Honey Locust trees. As time goes on with more trees expected to die, UED will continue the process of replacing the 'Bosque' Elm as the canopy and the 'Natchez' Crape Myrtle as the flowering ornamental tree. Money from the 'tree bank' fund, made up of donations and landscape bond forfeitures, are being used to replace trees and shrubs on public properties.

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