What Makes a Beautiful Campus Even Prettier? Hydrangeas! – Nurseryman Jim Sollecito ’76 has donated 1,000+ plants to campus—a gift inspired by his late daughter.
Read Cornell Chronicle article | View collection details, map Woody Plant Database.
Topics:
People – Faculty, staff, graduate students.
Research – Journal articles, thesis.
Outreach – Online resources, publications and videos:
- Plant selection
- CU-Structural Soil™
- ‘Scoop and Dump’ soil remediation
- Transplanting
- Community forestry
Choose the right tree, shrub or woody vine based on your site’s conditions.
Reaping the benefits of city trees
Nina Bassuk has dedicated her career helping trees thrive in tough urban landscapes.
CALS News story.
New: Urban Eden demonstration videos
Developed for the Fall 2020 semester to help with distance learning efforts in the course Creating the Urban Eden: Woody Plant Selection, Design, and Landscape Establishment, these videos will aid your understanding of soil assessment methods for woody plant establishment:
- Penetrometer demonstration
- Bulk density sampling demonstration
- Percolation test demonstration
- Soil pH test demonstration
- Soil texture by feel demonstration
- Understanding soil porosity and water-holding capacity using sponges
- Container-grown plants
Recent webinars
Why do some trees transplant better than others? A look at some new research on water uptake – TREE Fund webinar, June 2021
Featured resources:
- Recommended Urban Trees – Access through Woody Plants Database. Print on demand.
- CU-Structural Soil® – A Comprehensive Guide – 56 page publication covers the why’s and how’s of using CU-Structural Soil® to support trees, turf and porous pavement.
- The State of the Elms on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: Tree and Soil Conditions – UHI study conducted at the request of the National Park Service to examine the current conditions of the historic trees and soils on the National Mall. View final report and recommendations in The State of the Elms on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: Operations and Maintenance Guide.
- Routledge Handbook of Urban Forestry – Features two chapters by Nina Bassuk, Site assessment: the key to sustainable urban landscape establishment and Design options to integrate urban tree root zones and pavement support within a shared soil volume.
Other Cornell resources
- Cornell Guide for Planting & Maintaining Trees and Shrubs
- Pruning: An Illustrated Guide to Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs
- Know Your Trees – Update of classic includes identification keys, descriptions of 50 common native trees. Also available in as 7.2 MB .pdf file.
Take a hike:
- The Sustainable Landscapes Trail – Highlights the sustainable design and ecosystems services of green infrastructure across the Cornell campus. Features bioswales, CUSoil plantings, open spaces, natural areas, and more.
- ‘Urban Eden’ plant walks – Topical walks on campus for students in Creating the Urban Eden: Woody Plant Selection, Design, and Landscape Establishment (PLHRT/LA 4910/4920).
- Stewart Park Tree Tour– Use your mobile device to access information via QR codes for 22 trees in this City of Ithaca park on the south shore of Cayuga Lake.
