theresa2, do you live in a neighborhood built since the 1960s? I live in such an area in Chicago's western suburbs, and the "soil" conditions in the parkways are dreadful: about 1-2 inches of black dirt/clay over heavily-compacted, rocky yellow clay. In these conditions, any type of tree you choose must be able to handle the extremely-challenging conditions that promote very shallow root systems--the thin "topsoil" dries very quickly, and the base clay is poorly drained. From the list provided by your city, the shade trees that perform best around here in these far-from-ideal conditions include Gingko, Honeylocust, Linden, Callery Pear (until they become large enough to start breaking apart), Hybrid Elms (Accolade & Triumph), and Freeman Maples (like Marmo & the Autumn Fantasy you selected). (Obviously, Green Ash is now off the list because of Emerald Ash Borer.) From the additional suggestions by whaas, Kentucky Coffeetree and Swamp White Oak can perform well in these parkways, too. The sidewalk-to-curb distance is an important factor to consider--6-8 ft offers you more options than 4-6 ft.

FTR: "Easement" in nearly all cases, you still "own" the property, but whatever entity that "own" the easement has the "right" to largely as they see fit. i.e. dig it up for more lines, repair work etc. In the case of "Right of Way" then the property line is usually the same as the ROW line. These are where I would start. State Street Miaybe Maple - Acer miyabei Morton 'Autumn Gold' Ginkgo - Ginkgo biloba, �Autumn Gold� 'Magyar' Ginkgo - Ginkgo biloba,�Magyar' 'Princeton Sentry' Ginkgo - Ginkgo biloba 'Espresso' Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioica, 'Espresso' 'Prairie Titan' Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioica 'Prairie Titan' There are others on that list, that certainly would work. Being that close to the road IMHO salt tolerance is very important, which would eliminate the Sugar Maples among others. If you want something less common, then the Acer miyabei and Gymnocladus dioica would seem the best choice. Arktrees

Ky coffee are nice but they are huge trees, rapid growing too. Shingle oak and Sugar maple are desirable trees but they are also very large trees. I'm really not a fan of ginkgo. They're desirable in maturity but personally I think they're overrated. A large tree but it will more than likely take on the look of a coat rack for many years. I'm not familiar with that magnolia hybrid. A cursory web search leads me to say it looks like it would be a good size, if not a little smaller than desired. Do a search for "yellowwood". This is a medium sized tree that flowers, has nice fall foliage, and grows at a steady clip. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.

Well, I wouldn't plant one. I wouldn't even let someone else come onto our property and plant one, even if it the tree and the labor to plant it were free. Lombardy Poplar is a fast-growing tree. Unfortunately, like most fast-growing trees, it then tends to decline and die quickly. Its roots tend to sucker endlessly, giving you new trees that you likely don't want. They tend to have surface roots that will lift up concrete and cause broken sidewalks or foundation issues. Their roots tend to invade water lines. If someone tries to talk you into planting this tree, stick your fingers in your ears and say "la la la la la, I am not listening to you...." They have lots of pest problems and tend to die of canker and other diseases that appear suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, and then kill them quickly. Do yourself a favor, and plant a good quality tree that won't cause you endless headaches. Better-quality trees do tend to grow slower, but that also means they last a lot longer. Most fast-growing trees are fast-dying trees, giving rise to the use of the term "trash trees", often used to describe them. People get suckered into buying and planting Lombardy Poplars because of the too-good-to-be-true growth rates cited by companies selling them. Don't get lured into thinking planting them is a good idea. OKC has a great publication on selecting trees for urban areas. I'll link it below. It has great descriptions and great photos. Maybe you'll see a good-quality tree there that will appeal to you. I haven't looked at the OKC publication to see if the Lombardy Poplar is listed in it as a recommended tree, but I'm 100% sure it isn't. It is a whole lot easier to buy a good-quality tree that will last a long time, will stay healthy and won't give you trouble than to buy a fast-growing trash tree that will get to just the height you want it....and then start dying, leaving you with the work and expense of having it removed and the expense of replacing it with something else. Just because a tree grows well in Tuscany doesn't mean it will grow here. We're, um.....not in Tuscany....are we? You'll save yourself a lot of trouble if you plant trees that either are native to Oklahoma or at least are well-adapted to the conditions here, and Lombardy poplar is neither. Friends don't let their friends plant this tree. : ) Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: OKC: Putting Down Roots