Development in and Around Syracuse Discussion | Page 60 | Syracusefan.com

Development in and Around Syracuse Discussion

That is great. The elm tree is an important part of Syracuse's heritage. We had over 50,000 in our city before 1950. What can we do to help get them back? Why hasn't a replanting of Dutch Elm resistant trees in Syracuse been started yet?

Does anyone know? Where are the stumpies when you need them? I know we have some on this board!

Tell me we are planting elms and I am on board 100%! If the problem is money, I will sign up to help! I have to believe a lot of people in CNY would donate to get restore the amazing elm canopy to some of our prominent streets.

I have a hunch you could get an apolitical answer from the arborist - he's generally pretty candid: http://www.syracuse.ny.us/Parks/ContactUs.html
 
That is great. The elm tree is an important part of Syracuse's heritage. We had over 50,000 in our city before 1950. What can we do to help get them back? Why hasn't a replanting of Dutch Elm resistant trees in Syracuse been started yet?

Does anyone know? Where are the stumpies when you need them? I know we have some on this board!

Tell me we are planting elms and I am on board 100%! If the problem is money, I will sign up to help! I have to believe a lot of people in CNY would donate to get restore the amazing elm canopy to some of our prominent streets.
here is more info from the Nature Conservancy

"To restore American elms to their former importance on our floodplains, The Conservancy is working with the US Forest Service to develop a genetically diverse population of elms that are Dutch-elm disease tolerant. Conservancy Ecologist, Dr. Christian Marks, has been developing these new strains of elms which are being planted by the tens of thousands throughout the Connecticut River region—making it the largest Elm restoration effort in the northeast. "

Largest Elm Tree Restoration In The Northeast
 
Oops - yeah, he's the one.
Cool. I sent him an email. Told him I wanted to populate one block of one street in the city with Dutch Elm resistant elms. Asked if there were any current plans to use them. Let's see what he responds with.

This is his email in case anyone else wants to write to him.

sharris@ci.syracuse.ny.us
 
Last edited:
Cool. I sent him an email. Told him I wanted to populate one block of one street in the city with Dutch Elm resistant elms. Asked if there were any current plans to use them. Let's see what he responds with.

This is his email in case anyone else wants to write to him.

sharris@ci.syracuse.ny.us
Steve responded immediately.

He said about 2% of the trees they plant are hybrid elms. Said he doubted a row of them would survive given the pest and pathogen problems elms have. He did say some varieties are more resistant than others and left the door open a crack. I will continue to pursue this and if it gets anywhere, let the board know.

I think there is a significant group of people out there that love elm trees and would help support aproject like this. Maybe we can get ESF to get involved to monitor the trees and use it as a real world lab to test their hybrids and see how they do as they grow from plantings to full grown trees.
 
Steve responded immediately.

He said about 2% of the trees they plant are hybrid elms. Said he doubted a row of them would survive given the pest and pathogen problems elms have. He did say some varieties are more resistant than others and left the door open a crack. I will continue to pursue this and if it gets anywhere, let the board know.

I think there is a significant group of people out there that love elm trees and would help support aproject like this. Maybe we can get ESF to get involved to monitor the trees and use it as a real world lab to test their hybrids and see how they do as they grow from plantings to full grown trees.

Nice - always helps to ask.

I've witnessed a push and pull between arborists and planners regarding rows of trees. Designers prefer the aesthetic of a single type of tree on a block, while the science people tend to worry about the possibility of blight - failure to segregate some varieties from trees of the same type might allow it to spread, and the consequence will be the loss of a whole block of cover. Interesting to hear their reasoning.
 
How about a few of these trees that has given Syracuse University some favorable notoriety? At the very least would love to see some on the campus.
 
What about some of these?

CB80A998-7D9A-4FF5-BC5D-BA6983C73938.jpeg
 
Any of you who are risk takers: These Crape Myrtle trees are hardy to Zone 6 (the varieties linked below say Zone 5 but that is really pushing it (probably die back and become more of a shrub)). You should be safe close to Lake Ontario from Oswego to Niagara Falls in Zone 6. Inland probably best around city center of Syracuse and other warmer micro climates zones in the Finger Lakes.
These Crape Myrtles are Cold Hardy Through Zone 5! .

They are all over the South up to the mid-Atlantic to Zone 7, and keep their flowers for months and have a really interesting bark when dormant. The ones at the link above might be worth a try for you in Zone 6.

s571206031129726741_p30_i1_w400.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Any of you who are risk takers: These Crape Myrtle trees are hardy to Zone 6 (the varieties linked below say Zone 5 but that is really pushing it (probably die back and become more of a shrub)). You should be safe close to Lake Ontario from Oswego to Niagara Falls in Zone 6. Inland probably best around city center of Syracuse and other warmer micro climates zones in the Finger Lakes.
These Crape Myrtles are Cold Hardy Through Zone 5! .

They are all over the South up to the mid-Atlantic to Zone 7, and keep their flowers for months and have a really interesting bark when dormant. The ones at the link above might be worth a try for you in Zone 6.

s571206031129726741_p30_i1_w400.jpeg
Zone 6 continues to creep closer and closer to Onondaga County. Auburn and most of Cayuga County is 6A now. I would expect all but the southeastern corner of Onondaga County will be 6a within 20 years.

1556323689989.png
 
Last edited:
Pretty awesome. I bet the majority of them are moving downtown or near SU. Who would have ever thought it?
Well it is percentage-based. I think actual numbers/volume is a better indicator of a city’s attractiveness to that demographic. The other day I daydreamed what it would be like if amazon hq2 was built on that completely deserted Kennedy square acreage.
 

Seems like there’s economic opportunity here for people around my age. Syracuse has treated me quite well tbh.
There is a significant commitment to technology and the drone industry. It’s attracting younger people from out of town. Those individuals are also driving up the real estate market for the first time in forever.
 
I'm a recent college grad and will be moving downtown most likely within a year. There really is something good going on Downtown with Armory Square, Hanover, etc. And last time I checked there are some pretty beautiful trees in Franklin Square.
 
Avenue of Plane Trees in Provence
The London plane tree, a type of sycamore, is tolerant of many of the problems associated with an urban setting.
Well, it isn't quite the same as a line of elm trees but it is better than nothing...

Stephen Harris, City Arborist, says he is not against my dream of getting a block of elm trees planted somewhere in the city and wants to talk about it.

I am going to follow up with him and see where this goes.
 
Ottomets is single handily drawing them in, he's like Mecca for Millenials. Craft Beer and an intimate knowledge of all things planning and the community grid go along way.
The community grid is a millenial magnet. No question. Build it and they will come.

Somebody better start stacking up inventory of PBR.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
175,926
Messages
5,278,970
Members
6,193
Latest member
BobFromIndy

Online statistics

Members online
206
Guests online
5,549
Total visitors
5,755


P
Top Bottom