Thinking About Trees

In the past week, two comments on this blog have expressed the need for more trees and greenery. One of the comments called for a "comprehensive plan that includes and enforces that all new or updated developments meet some criteria of landscape plantings--trees, perennials."

Green Street in the late 19th century

Given the ever rising summer temperatures, as a consequence of climate change, having treelined streets, such as existed in Hudson in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is desirable. Trees can lower temperatures by 10 degrees or more. Unfortunately today, there are very few streets in Hudson that could be described as "treelined."    

Since 2021, the Conservation Advisory Council has been planting street trees in Hudson. The trees they plant come from a list of recommended species, chosen because they have deep root structures and are not low-branching or weeping in form, but primarily because they are native to this part of the country.

An article that appeared last week in the Times Union suggests a tree the CAC might want to add to their list of recommended species: "Pawpaws to the rescue: UAlbany planting trees to reduce heat on city sidewalks." The pawpaw, which is native to North America but is better known in the South, is more heat-resilient than the native species common in the North. So far, students at UAlbany have planted 200 pawpaw trees along South Pearl Street in Albany.

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