Tree Care Information

Deciduous trees allowed along right-of-way or on public lands.

• Oak (Quercus sp.) : Bur*, Chinkapin*, Chesnut*, English*, Shumard*, Texas Red*, Heritage*, Bur-gambel Hybrid*, Fastigate English*, Crimson Spire*.
• Elm (Ulmus sp.): Choice City*, Prospector*, Accolade, Triumph, Discovery, Brandon, Regal.  Make sure cultivar is resistant to Dutch elm disease and elm leaf beetle.
• Legume Family (Fabaceae): Shademaster Honeylocust*, Skyline Honeylocust, Imperial Honeylocust, Kentucky Coffeetree*, Kentucky Coffeetree Espresso*.
• Linden (Tilia sp.): Redmond, Greenspire, American, Glenleven. 
• Planetree (Platanus sp.): Bloodgood, Exclamation, Northern Advance. Make sure cultivar is resistant to anthracnose.
• Chokecherry (Prunus sp.): Canada Red*, Sucker Punch*.  (Height usually 20-25’)
• Maple (Acer sp.): Bigtooth (single stem)*, State Street*, Caddo Sugar*, Columnare, Fairview.
• Buckeye (Aesculus sp.): Ohio Buckeye*, Yellow Buckeye, Texas Buckeye*, Prairie Torch Hybrid Buckeye, Common Horsechesnut*.
• Other trees allowed along right-of-way by common name: Hackberry*, Western Catalpa*, Turkish Filbert, Ginkgo, Japanese Zelkova*, Tulip Poplar, American Yellowwood, American Hornbeam, Red Baron Crabapple (Height 15-20’), Japanese Pagodatree*

Small deciduous trees suitable for wider tree lawns (10 feet or more)

Evergreen trees.

Additional tree species may be permitted if approved by the Forestry Department as appropriate. Please note that trees marked with an asterisk are considered drought tolerant.
Additional recommended trees for the Front Range can be found at the following:

Colorado Tree Coalition

Front Range Recommended Tree List

Think of young trees as living sculptures. Trees need a little help developing proper (ideal) structures as they age in an urban setting. Consider these four objectives when thinking about corrective tree pruning. Removing dead or damaged branches, maintaining a single leader(trunk), Select the lowest permanent branch, thin and maintain other temporary branches below the lowest permanent branch until eventual removal.
Something to consider when pruning young trees in Berthoud, is when selecting the lowest permanent branch, consider its orientation. If the branch will be growing over a town-owned sidewalk or road, make sure the branch is at least 8 feet above a sidewalk or 14 feet above a road.
 
For a more expanded fact sheet on pruning young trees, follow this link to the Colorado Master Gardener program for their Structural Training of Young Shade Trees. 

If you have any questions about how to prune your young tree, you can email the town forestry staff at forestry@berthoud.org. We are happy to answer any questions! 

Trees prohibited for any new planting within the Town of Berthoud right of way or on public lands.  

• Any of the ash species (Fraxinus spp.) Including Green, White, Purple, Blue, or any other ash.  Due to emerald ash borer.
• Any of the poplar species (Populus spp.), including but not limited to Cottonwood, Aspen, Silver Poplar, Lombardy Poplar
• Any of the Willow species (Salix spp.).
• Box elder tree (Acer negundo) *does not include boxelder sensation
• Siberian (Chinese) elm (Ulmus pumila).
• Any weeping or pendulous type tree (e.g., weeping birch).
• Any shrub or hedge which by its habit of growth would obstruct, restrict, or conflict with necessary and safe use of the public rights-of-way.
• Conifers or evergreens which would eventually grow over the sidewalks or streets .
• Any Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos ) that bears either seed pods or thorns.
• Purple Locust, Black Locust, Mulberry, Bradford Pear, Black Walnut, Russian Olive, Tree of Heaven, Tamarisk, Red Maple, Silver Maple, Birch.

Trees to avoid.

Planting of the trees listed below should be avoided by homeowners due to the issues that develop with these plants over time.  It’s also worth noting that fruit trees have difficulty getting established on the Front Range and require a devoted owner for proper care.

• Red Maple
• Aspen
• Lombardy Poplar
• Silver Maple
• Birch
• Siberian Elm
• Russian Olive
• Box Elder
• Cottonwood
• Sunburst Honeylocust
• Willow
• Tamarisk
• Tree of Heaven
• Black Locust
• Purple Locust
• Mulberry
• Ash (due to emerald ash borer)
• Black Walnut (due to thousand cankers disease)

Regulations for spacing of trees to be planted on public rights-of-way

• All newly-planted street trees shall be planted midway between the sidewalk and the curb. Trees shall be spaced to allow for safe, healthy, attractive growth.
• No trees will be planted closer than 5' to any driveway or alley, nor shall it be planted in such a manner that eventual growth cannot be reasonably maintained to avert interference with, or obstruction of, any improvements installed for the public benefit such as traffic and street signs and lights, fire hydrants, overhead utility wires, street lights, utility poles, etc.
• At edges of streets where a space of less than 5' in width exists between the curb and the abutting private property line, no trees or woody plants shall be planted on the public area so involved.
• Where an attached sidewalk has been installed, no tree plantings are to be made closer than 5' from the edge of any concrete installation.
• Trees are not to be planted within 10' of either side of water, sewer, or storm drain main lines, or within 5’ of either side of water or sewer service lines.
• No more than three (3) of the same plant genus may be used consecutively in a row-type planting.
• In developments, landscape plans should try to abide by the 5-10-15 biodiversity rule.  No more than 5% species, 10% genus, 15% family to be planted.