Trees in the city often grow under difficult circumstances. The roots have to compete with a network of underground cables and pipelines, the subgrade is not optimum, the rooting space is restricted and rainwater flows directly into the sewers. Furthermore, the temperatures in the city are often higher causing greater evaporation from the foliage whereas the roots have less opportunity to absorb water.

Not always classic avenue trees

For this reason, some urban sites require trees that can tolerate drought. They are not always the species that we traditionally think of as avenue trees; however, they are able to do particularly well in such locations. There is a very good reason why more and more Pinus sylvestris and Betula pendula are being planted in the city. Less well-known species such as Ostrya carpinifolia, Corylus colurna or Pinus nigra subsp. nigra have some excellent properties and are worth considering. On this page, you can find species that are suitable for dry soil. All of these trees can also tolerate paved sites. Although the list is not complete, we believe it presents a great selection. More species can be found using the tree filter on this website. The filter will also allow you to find the tree that has to meet other criteria. 

All-rounders

There are also trees that can tolerate both drought and getting their feet wet. They include Acer negundo, Acer saccharinum, Alnus incana, Betula nigra, Betula pubescens, Carpinus betulus, Carya spec., Euonymus europaeus, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Liquidambar styraciflua, Platanus x hispanica, Salix alba and Salix sepulcralis ‘Chrysocoma’. These are trees with few demands and so they can grow in a variety of locations