New York City approved street tree species list, by size group

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It is also not planting advice and it does not say which tree suits a site. The Approved Species List page names tree species approved for sidewalk and lawn planting sites in the public right-of-way. This page copies the scientific and common names under each size heading, not the columns for form, growth rate, fall colour, tolerances and suggested cultivars.

What the list says it is

The page opens by saying the list is of tree species approved by NYC Parks for sidewalk and lawn planting sites in the public right-of-way, and that superior cultivars may be substituted with the permission of the agency. The page shows no date. It groups species into four sizes: large trees, mature height greater than 50 feet; medium trees, 35 to 50 feet; intermediate trees, 25 to 35 feet; and small trees, less than 25 feet. On October 9, 2026 it listed 41 rows across the four groups. A row can be a genus with “sp.” for several species, such as serviceberry, crabapple and hawthorn, so the count is of rows and not of species.

Besides the names, each row carries notes the city gives. Examples are “Plant Spring Only” on several oaks, a note that pin oak needs a large tree pit, and location tolerances such as small tree pit (under 3 ft) and median tree. Those notes are on the city’s page, not copied here.

Large trees, greater than 50 feet

Medium trees, 35 to 50 feet

Intermediate trees, 25 to 35 feet

Small trees, less than 25 feet

How the city says street trees get planted

The Street Tree Planting page says the Neighborhood Tree Planting programme aims to plant every available planting location in the city on a 9-year cycle, along the street within the City-owned public right-of-way. It says foresters work with experienced growers so that only the healthiest and most appropriate of the approved species are planted, and that factors include tree bed type, sidewalk width, soil compaction, surrounding canopy, flood and drought conditions, nearby infrastructure and utility lines. It says trees are planted from October through May, and that a sticker is placed in the sidewalk, or a flag in a lawn strip, before planting.

The page also says a property owner who plants a tree on their own needs a tree planting permit, and that street trees must be planted at new buildings and major enlargements under the Department of Buildings. It says the planting contractors are responsible for watering, weeding and minor pruning after planting, and must water at least once every two weeks from May through October.

The older permit list

NYC Parks also hosts a seven-page PDF named Street Trees List For Permits. Its file metadata shows it was created on August 12, 2013. It has a column of suggested frequency of planting, with entries such as sparingly, moderately and frequently, a column of preferred cultivars, and a notes column that marks some species as ALB Host. Its species and groupings differ from the web list above, which is why this page copies the web list only.

Limits

• The web page shows no date, so no list date is given here.
• New York City’s tree inventory is on a separate open data page. The New York City tree data page covers it.

This list sits beside the others on the city lists comparison page.

Sources

• NYC Parks, Street Tree Planting Approved Species List, read October 9, 2026
• NYC Parks, Street Tree Planting, read October 9, 2026
• NYC Parks, Street Trees List For Permits (PDF, created August 12, 2013 per file metadata), read October 9, 2026