Attachment_A2_-_DPR_Tree_Design_and_Planting_Guidelines.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- DCAM-26-CS-RFP-0006
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- District of Columbia
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This is a Tree Design and Planting Guidelines document issued by the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Planning and Capital Projects Division, applicable to projects within the District. The guidelines establish standards for plant selection, placement, and species recommendations for landscaping projects on DPR properties. Plant selection criteria emphasize adaptability to the landscape, water conservation through native species, avoidance of messy trees with large fruits or nuts in high-traffic areas, hardiness in USDA Zone 7A&B, and minimal maintenance demands. Tree placement guidelines require trees to be positioned at least 20 feet from playing fields, 10 feet from courts, 5 feet behind the nearest fence, with no obstacles within 12 feet of endzones and 6 feet from sidelines. The document provides comprehensive lists of trees to avoid near courts and playgrounds due to maintenance concerns and safety hazards, trees that are prohibited from planting due to being non-native and invasive species, and encouraged native canopy, understory, and shrub species suitable for District landscaping.
The guidelines prioritize native species and environmental sustainability while addressing public safety and maintenance efficiency. Prohibited species include Callery Pear, various Catalpa species, Norway Maple, Osage Orange, Paper Mulberry, Princess Tree, Silk Tree, Tree of Heaven, and White Mulberry, all classified as non-native invasive species that outcompete native vegetation. Encouraged plantings include native canopy trees such as River Birch, American Hornbeam, Hackberry, Tulip Tree, and Black Tupelo; native understory trees including Redbud, Dogwood, and Carolina Silverbell; and native shrubs such as Beautyberry, Hydrangea, Spicebush, and various Viburnum species. These guidelines serve as design standards for the New River Terrace Recreation Center project and other DPR-managed properties, with final placement decisions made at the discretion of the Landscape Architect, Arborist, or other DPR personnel.
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1250 U Street, NW | Washington, D.C. 20009 | P: (202) 673-7647 | F: (202) 673-2087 www.DPR.DC.gov |
@DCDPR
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Department of Parks and Recreation
Planning and Capital Projects Division
DPR Tree Design and Planting Guidelines:
Species Selection Plant selection should be based on the plant’s adaptability to the landscape area, desired effect, color, texture and ultimate plant size. Maximum water conservation can be achieved by selecting appropriate plants that require minimal amounts of supplemental water with a focus on native trees. Messy Trees with large fruits or nuts should be avoided in areas of play or high traffic.
Hardiness and Availability. Plants must be hardy in Zone 7 A&B
Demanding Plants. Plants requiring meticulous soil preparation, fertilization and spraying shall be avoided.
Growth Habits. Plants need to be chosen with their mature size and growth habit in mind to avoid over planting and conflict with other plants, structures or utility lines.
Placement Landscape design should be closely coordinated with the architectural characteristics of the building and the community where the building is located. Trees ideally should not be within 20’ of playing fields and 10’ of courts or behind the nearest fence by at least 5’ for safe playing zones. Absolutely no obstacles should be within 12’ of an endzone and 6’ from a sideline. Care should be taken when planting in playgrounds to create shade mostly to the southwest all the while considering safe play fall zones.
Trees to Avoid Below is a sample of commonly proposed trees that should be avoided near courts, playing fields, playgrounds or areas of high traffic. The following trees may still be used on DPR properties, but not within 30’ of fields, courts and playgrounds. Our maintenance teams are not equipped to keep up with the messes these trees pose, which thus creates the risk of a hazardous area. The location of these trees and other trees to refrain from will be at the discretion of the Landscape Architect, Arborist or other DPR personnel reviewing the proposed tree plantings.
Muriel E. Bowser Mayor
Keith A. Anderson Director
Trees to Avoid* (depending on location only):
- Beech (Fagus) – shallow roots, kill grass underneath
- Catalpa (Catalpa) – weak wood, many long seed pods, difficult to clean
- Maple (Acer) – shallow roots; do not plant within 20’ of hardscapes
- Oaks (Quercus) – acorns pose difficult cleanup and dangerous walking
- SweetGum (Liquidambar)* – large seeds are dangerous (*unless seedless)
- Walnut – (Juglans) – Drops very large nuts and kill grass underneath
Trees Not to be Planted:
- Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) - not native to DC and invasive and weak wood
- Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) - not native to DC and invasive and weak wood
- Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) – not native to DC and repopulates and takes over areas, shading out understory plantings
- Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) – not native to DC and has fruit so large that they can be extremely dangerous when they fall
- Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) – not native to DC and repopulates and takes over areas, shading out understory plantings
- Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa) - not native to DC and invasive
- Silk Tree (Akbizia julibrissin) – not native to DC and invasive
- Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) – not native to DC and invasive
- White Mulberry (Morus alba) – not native to DC and invasive and outcompetes the native mulberries
Encouraged Trees:
Native Canopy:
- Betula nigra – River Birch
- Carpinus caroliniana – American Hornbeam
- Celtis occidentalis - Hackberry
- Liquidambar styraciflua – Sweetgum* (*only seedless)
- Liriodendron tulipifera – Tulip Tree
- Nyssa sylvatica – Black Tupelo
- Ostrya virginiana – American Hop Hornbeam
- Sassafras albidum – Sassafras
- Ulmus americana – American Elm** (** Must be disease-resistant varieties)
Native Understory:
- Amelanchier arborea - Downy Serviceberry
- Amelanchier canadensis – Juneberry
- Cercis canadensis – Redbud
- Chionanthus virginicus – White Fringetree
- Cornus alternifolia – Alternate-Leaf Dogwood
- Cornus florida – Dogwood
- Halesia tetraptera – Carolina Silverbell
- Magnolia virginiana – Sweetbay Magnolia
- Oxydendrum arboretum - Sourwood
- Prunus virginiana – Choke Cherry
Native Shrubs:
- Calicarpa americana – Beautyberry
- Ceanothus americanus – New Jersey Tea
- Clethra alnifolia – Sweetpepper Bush
- Cornus amomum – Silky Dogwood
- Cornus stolonifera – Red Twigged Dogwood
- Gaultheria procumbens - Wintergreen
- Hydrangea arborescens – Hydrangea
- Itea virginica - Sweetspire
- Lindera benzoin - Spicebush
- Rhododendron calendulacena – Azalea
- Vaccinium corymbosum – Highbush Blueberry
- Viburnum dentatum – Viburnum
- Viburnum nudum – Swamphaw Viburnum
- Viburnum prunifolium – Blackhaw Viburnum
- Tree Planting Details adopted from the Urban Forestry Division of DDOT
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