Our Research
Street Tree Species Trials
Street tree trials have been a fundamental part of TREENET since its inception in 1997.
Knowing how trees grow in the different town and city environments across Australia is essential to sustaining our urban forests, so trial plantings are an important part of Treenet’s research. Treenet collaborates with communities, governments, schools, researchers and others to plant and monitor trees across Australia. Results presented at our symposia are available in the Australian Urban Forest Literature Database and links to some selected papers and videos are provided below.
Examples of some of the many tree species growing across Australia can also be seen in Treenet’s Urban Tree Trials Database. You can use this free database to access, share or contribute to tree species or trials information.
The database is a work in progress with information being added to include past, current and new trials, as well as showing how trees have matured in different regions. To continue to build this database we encourage anyone working on tree trials in their region to upload their information. Adding information requires a login, which you can request here.
Further information about street tree performance and establishing tree species trials is available in these Treenet resources:
- Street tree species trials for the 2020’s – Lyndal Plant and Tim Johnson, 2021
- Street Tree Trials – Ruby Wilson, 2022
Additional information to assist with establishing tree trials can be found in the Climate-ready street tree trial guide, and the Which Plant Where database provides broad information for plant and tree selection.
Further resources and publications from Treenet’s Australian Urban Forest Literature Database are listed below.
Check out the following resources which have been extracted from TREENET’s significant collection of academic papers and case studies:
Street Tree Trials
ABSTRACT Planting locally unfamiliar tree species to assess their performance under urban conditions has been a major focus since TREENET was founded. Early species trials
Monitoring newly planted street trees using remote sensing
ABSTRACT After graduating in forestry from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Patricia completed a Master of Natural Resources Ecology and Management at the Oklahoma
How best to approach street tree species trials?
Climate change and increasing temperatures pose a major challenge for green spaces in our urban landscapes. Developing diversity is important for the palette of trees species available to our growers and practitioners alike…
STREET TREE TRIALS –AVENUES OF INTEREST
Brisbane City Council initiated a formal street tree trials program in June 2000 with the selection of an initial five indigenous rainforest species…
A nursery trial to compare production systems
Tree Trial: Do we need one? Is anybody interested?
In the ideal Nursery world we could all still be growing trees in kerosene containers…
Trees for trials: a tree growers perspective
As tree growers, we are frequently asked for “new” lines that will grow well under most conditions,
Treenet Trials 2009: A Species Odyssey
Tim Johnson, Senior Arborist, City of Mitcham Introduction Street tree trials have been a fundamental part of TREENET since its inception in 1997.Ten years since it
Treenet: New Tree Variety Assessment
Steven Watt – Bachelor of Applied Science (Horticulture), Melbourne University Acknowledgements Alex Bycov, Urban Forestry Department Officer, City of Toronto, Canada. Stuart Campbell, Street Tree
Assessing the Soils of TREENET Sites – Kevin Handreck
TREENET sites need to be chosen so as to simulate the soil environment in which the trees will eventually grow. This is probably impossible in detail. But some data must be collected so that different sites can be compared…
Experiments and Education: The Roadway Ahead – Judy Fakes
The long-term success of street tree plantings is the end result of a complex process involving many players. To date it would seem that there has been a fair amount of good luck rather than good management…
Street tree trials in the City of West Torrens
The City of West Torrens has been associated with and supported TREENET since 1997. Association with TREENET provides a range of benefits…
