Street Tree Initiative
The Homeland neighborhood has long been defined by its distinctive tree-lined streets, leafy avenues, and the verdant landscape that has shaped community life for generations. Yet, like many historic neighborhoods, our urban forest has gradually diminished over the past century due to aging trees, environmental pressures, and natural loss.
A street tree audit conducted by the Homeland Community Foundation revealed that our thinning canopy is missing more than 650 trees from the original landscape vision of the Olmsted Brothers. These trees are more than a defining feature of our neighborhood's character—they provide critical shade, reduce stormwater runoff, cool our streets, improve air quality, and create habitat for wildlife.
In honor of Homeland's centennial in 2024, the Homeland Community Foundation launched the Street Tree Initiative to help restore and strengthen our tree canopy for future generations.
The first phase of planting took place in Fall 2025 with the addition of 27 new street trees, followed by 14 more trees in Spring 2026. As Homeland enters its second century, this initiative represents an investment in the neighborhood's beauty, environmental health, and long-term vitality.
By investing in our tree canopy today, we are carrying forward a legacy of stewardship that will benefit the community for years to come.
The next phase of tree planting is now underway.
If you'd like to be part of this initiative, you can sign up to have a new street tree planted at your home—at no cost to you.
All we ask in return is that you help your tree thrive during its first few years through regular watering and simple care as it takes root in our community.
Street Tree Species
Our street tree initiative to reestablish a shade canopy over the Homeland neighborhood will draw from the following collection of native tree species. They are well-suited as large urban street trees and offer aesthetic interest via the canopy structure, leaf color, and bark texture. In addition, they are tolerant of air pollution, contribute to urban heat reduction, help prevent runoff, and provide shelter from the sun.
Autumn Blaze Red Maple
Acer rubrum 'Freelandii'
This deciduous street tree has brilliant fall foliage and grows quickly (3-4 feet per year). The large canopy provides ample shade and offers a perfect balance of urban tolerance, structural strength, and aesthetic appeal.
American Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
This is a majestic, fast-growing native shade tree that brings beauty, resilience, and ecological benefits to urban environments. Its striking, peeling bark, cooling canopy, and adaptability make it a timeless and practical choice for wide streets and public green spaces.
American Elm
Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’
The vase-shaped canopy provides high overhead clearance for pedestrians and vehicles, while creating a shaded, tunnel-like effect over streets and walkways. It combines the historic elegance of the native elm with modern disease resistance and urban adaptability.
Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor
Typically grows 50 to 70 feet tall, occasionally reaching over 80 feet, with a broad, rounded crown that provides excellent shade. Contributes significantly to carbon sequestration, stormwater management, and air quality improvement. The bark is distinctive—dark gray and deeply ridged on mature trunks, the leaves offer contrasting colors, and the shape of the canopy is symmetrical and balanced.
American Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba'
This tree has striking star-shaped leaves and vibrant fall color and is a classic and long-lived shade tree frequently used in parks, campuses, and along city streets. Sweetgums are excellent at filtering airborne pollutants and sequestering carbon. Sweetgum can often have seed pods that can be a nuisance, but this variety in particular produces little to no seed pods.
Willow Oak
Quercus phellos
These trees combine durability, beauty, and environmental value. They grow tall with a very full shade canopy of finely textured and graceful leaves. They have an elegant and uniform appearance, ideal for lining neighborhood streets. They produce small acorns, providing food for wildlife and enhancing urban biodiversity.
🌳 Help Restore Homeland’s Canopy
Homeland has lost more than 650 street trees over the years—leaving gaps in our canopy and our community’s beauty. The Homeland Community Foundation is working to replant, restore, and renew, but we can’t do it alone.
Be part of Homeland’s next 100 years.