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1 CITY OF CARTERSVILLE LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE ADOPTED DECEMBER 22, 1995 REVISED OCTOBER 1, 2009 ADOPTED DECEMBER 22, 1995 REVISED OCTOBER 1, 2009 CITY OF CARTERSVILLE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT P.O. BOX 1390 * 10 NORTH PUBLIC SQUARE * CARTERSVILLE, GEORGIA 30120 * PHONE: [PHONE REDACTED] * FAX: [PHONE REDACTED] * www.cityofcartersville.org ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 ARTICLE IV. MINIMUM LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS Sec. 17-61. Table of contents. Sec. 17-62. Purpose. Sec. 17-63. Definitions. Sec. 17-64. Application and Exemptions. Sec. 17-65. Landscaped area general requirements. Sec. 17-66. Landscaping requirements for parking lots and vehicular use areas. Sec. 17-67. Planting, maintenance and removal. Sec. 17-68. Submission of site plans. Sec. 17-69. Landscaping Alternative Installation Agreement. Sec. 17-70. Enforcement, violations and penalties. Sec. 17-71. Alternative Landscaping Plan. Sec. 17-72. Appeal. Sec. 17-73. Small trees. Sec. 17-74. Large trees. Sec. 17-75. Reserved. Sec. 17-62. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to provide standards for the installation of trees and landscaping as part of the land development process in order to enhance the quality of life within the city. The reasons for requiring trees on a site and in parking lots are to provide shade, reduce temperatures, reduce stormwater runoff, and reduce air and water pollution. The following regulations seek to establish minimum standards for the provision, installation, and maintenance of landscape plantings in order to achieve a healthy, beautiful, and safe community and to enhance the city’s environmental and visual character for its citizens’ use and enjoyment by the following means: 1. Improve environmental quality by recognizing the numerous beneficial effects of landscaping upon the environment such as improving air and water quality through such natural processes as and mineral uptake; reducing and reversing air, noise, heat and chemical pollution through the biological filtering capacities of trees and other vegetation. 2. Maintain and increase the value of land by requiring landscaping to be incorporated into development, thus becoming by itself a valuable capital asset. 3. Provide direct and important physical and benefits to human beings through the use of landscaping to reduce noise and glare, and to break up the monotony and soften the harsher aspects of urban development. 4. Preserve existing natural vegetation where possible and incorporate native plants, plant communities, and ecosystems into landscape design. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 Sec. 17-63. Definitions. For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them: Administrator. The director of planning and development or his designee. Appropriate materials. Heat- and drought-tolerant sod grasses, shrubs, flowering plants or similar plant material, and ground cover. Critical root zone. Minimum area beneath a tree which must be left undisturbed in order to preserve a sufficient root mass to give a tree a reasonable chance of survival. The critical root zone (CRZ) will typically be represented by a concentric circle centering on the tree's trunk with a radius equal in feet to one and three-tenths (1.3) times the number of inches of the trunk diameter. Example: The CRZ radius of a twenty (20) inch diameter tree is twenty-six (26) feet. Developed property. Property upon which a building has been placed or for which a building permit has been issued. Grass (sod). A surface layer of earth containing grass; turf. Ground cover. Non-living natural or artificial materials commonly used in landscaping to cover non- impervious areas, such as, but not limited to, mulch, straw, wood chips, bark, sand, or stone. Impervious surface. Any material or surface that prevents absorption of stormwater into the ground. Includes but is not limited to buildings, asphalt and concrete surfaced streets, parking lots, and sidewalks. Impervious surface, non. All that area of a lot which is not covered by buildings, asphalt or concrete surfaced streets, parking lots, or sidewalks or any other impervious surface. Interior landscaped areas. The area of a lot devoted to parking spaces and vehicular use. Irrigation system. A permanent, artificial watering system designed to transport and distribute water to plants. Landscaping. Landscaping shall consist of any of the following or combination thereof: material such as, but not limited to, grass, ground covers, shrubs, vines, trees, berms, mulch, sand, walls, screens, fences, lighting and/or signage, and any change in contours of the land, grades, etc. to achieve the effect of landscaping. Artificial plants and/or trees are not considered landscaping and shall not be used to meet the requirements of the landscape regulations. Landscape border. A planted border around the outer boundary of a parking lot or vehicular use area. Landscape strip. A planted area abutting a right-of-way. Native plants. Any plant species with a geographic distribution indigenous to the southeastern region of the United States. Plant species which have been introduced by man are not native vegetation. Property owner. Property owner shall mean the person owning such property or his agent as shown by the city tax records or an approved landscaping plan. Region. The southeastern region of the United States. Shrub. A shrub required by this article shall be a self-supporting plant material usually not more than ten (10) feet in height at maturity. Tree. Any self-supporting, woody perennial plant usually having a single trunk diameter of three inches or more which normally attains a mature height of a minimum of fifteen (15) feet. Tree protection zone. An area encompassing the critical root zone of a tree. Vine. A vine is a plant which normally requires support to reach maturity. Xeriscape. Landscape methods which conserve water through the use of drought-tolerant plants and planting techniques. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 Sec. 17-64. Application and Exemptions. The terms and provisions of this article shall apply to all activity which requires the issuance of a land disturbance permit or a building permit on any real property within the city limits, unless specifically listed as an exemption. The provisions of this article shall not limit the applicability of the buffering and open space provisions of the Cartersville Zoning Ordinance. The following properties and land uses are exempt from the requirements of this section: 1. Single-family residential developments. Any single-family residential development shown on a site plan approved by the city planning commission. 2. Residential lots of record. Any single-family residential lot zoned for residential use under the City of Cartersville Zoning Ordinance. 3. Nurseries, tree farms, botanical gardens. All public and licensed private plant or tree nurseries, tree farms, or botanical gardens only in relation to those trees which are planted and growing for sale or intended for sale to the general public in the ordinary course of business or for some public purpose. 4. Property renovation. Any property undergoing renovation of less than fifty-one percent (51%) of the current property assessment value as shown on records that may be obtained from the Bartow County Assessor’s Office. A property may also be exempt for which an application for a building permit for renovation has been submitted to the city that already complies with the provisions of this section. 5. Downtown Business District. Any commercial building site in the Downtown Business District. Sec. 17-65. Landscaped area general requirements. The minimum total lot area to be landscaped shall be based on the total impervious surface area of the lot. Impervious surface areas shall not be allowed to cover more than eighty-five percent (85%) of the lot. The non-impervious area may include but is not limited to grass, shrubs, vines, trees, mulch, and above-ground detention. Underground detention shall not be used to add to the non-impervious surface area. Required trees. Trees planted for the purpose of this regulation must meet the following criteria: 1. All trees shall be from the approved list in sections 17-71 and 17-72 of this article, unless an alternate tree is deemed appropriate by the department director; 2. Shall be a minimum height of eight feet when planted; 3. Shall have a height at maturing of at least fifteen (15) feet; 4. Shall be pollution- and heat-tolerant; 5. Shall require little maintenance, be mechanically strong, and disease resistant; and 6. No more than thirty-five percent (35%) of one species of tree shall be used for a new development. Use of landscaped areas. The parking of vehicles or other equipment and the display or storage of merchandise or goods in landscape strips, borders, islands, or buffers is prohibited. Landscaped area grass. A heat and drought tolerant sod grass is required in all grassed areas of a required landscaped strip, border, and planter island. ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 Ground cover outside landscaped areas. All disturbed areas outside of the required landscaped areas including right-of-ways must be seeded and stabilized as soon as practicable. Water-conserving landscape materials (xeriscape). Creative site development concepts shall be used in order to promote water conservation. Sec. 17-66. Landscaping requirements for parking lots and vehicular use areas. Interior landscaping. Interior landscaping of parking lots shall contain planter islands located at both ends of each single and double parking row and one planter island every twelve (12) parking spaces in a row. Planter islands shall be a minimum of one hundred sixty (160) square feet in area for single parking rows and three hundred twenty (320) square feet in area for double parking rows. Planter islands in single parking rows shall contain at least one small tree from the list of trees found in section 17- 71 of this ordinance. Planter islands in double parking rows shall contain at least two small trees from the list of trees found section 17-71 or one large tree from the list of trees found in section 17- 72 of this ordinance. Non-impervious landscaping strips, a minimum of three feet in width, planted with shrubs, shall be provided for every third interior double parking row in parking lots having one hundred fifty (150) or more parking spaces. As an example, non-impervious landscaping strips would be provided for the first, fourth, and seventh double parking row in a parking lot having eight double parking rows. In such cases, a layout of the parking lot, including the locations, species, and sizes of the shrubs, shall be submitted for approval to the director of planning and development. Shrubs shall be a minimum of one foot in height at the time of planting. All trees shall have a minimum height when planted of eight feet. No more than thirty-five percent (35%) of one species of tree shall be used for a new development. The remaining area in the planter islands shall be landscaped with appropriate materials. Single parking rows abutting a building perimeter border are excluded from this section. Building perimeter landscaping. The perimeter of each building on the site shall have a landscape area or sidewalk not less than five feet in width. If the area is planted, it shall be landscaped with appropriate materials. In no case shall asphalt paving be contiguous to the base of a building. Border landscaping. Each parking lot or vehicular use area must have a planted landscape strip not less than ten (10) feet in width parallel to right-of-way lines, and planted borders not less than five feet in width along any side of a parking lot or vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property that is not a public right-of-way. Large trees from the list of trees found in section 17-72 of this ordinance shall be planted in any ten (10) feet in width landscape strip parallel to right-of-way lines. No more than thirty-five percent (35%) of one species of tree shall be used for the overall site. Small trees from the list of trees found in section 17-71 of this ordinance shall be planted in any five feet in width landscape strip along any side of a parking lot or vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property that is not a public right-of-way. No more than thirty-five percent (35%) of one species of tree shall be used for the overall site. ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 Planted landscape strips parallel to right-of-ways shall have at least one tree for each thirty (30) lineal feet of right-of-way frontage, with a minimum of two trees required. All trees shall have a minimum height when planted of eight feet. The remaining area of the landscape strip shall be planted with appropriate materials. Planted borders along any side of a parking lot or vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property that is not a public right-of-way shall have at least one tree having a minimum height when planted of eight feet, for each seventy-five (75) lineal feet or fraction thereof of border area. The remaining area of the border shall be planted with appropriate materials. Accessways. Landscape border areas and landscape strips may be interrupted to provide vehicular and/or pedestrian ingress and egress. Encroachment. Landscaped areas shall require protection from vehicular encroachment. Wheel stops or curbing shall be located so as to prevent damage by automobiles to any trees, fences, shrubs or landscaping. This section may be modified by the Board of Zoning Appeals when strict application will seriously limit the function of an area. Sec. 17-67. Planting, maintenance and removal. Installation. All trees and landscaping shall be installed in a sound workmanlike manner and according to accepted planting procedures with quality materials as provided in literature from the Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, or International Society of Arboriculture. All landscaping for each phase of development shall be completed prior to the recording of the final plat for that phase or prior to the issuance of certificate of occupancy for that phase. All tree wrap, flagging, twine, bamboo stakes, grafting tape and tags and other potentially harmful materials should be removed from the planting hole, root ball, and tree. Contact the department of planning and development for site inspection upon completion of landscape installation. Maintenance. The property owner shall be responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping. Landscaping shall be maintained in a good condition so as to present a healthy, neat and orderly appearance at least equal to the original installation. Any dead vegetation and landscaping material or any damaged nonliving landscaping materials shall be replaced with materials equal to the original installation. Trees with less than fifty percent (50%) of their original crown present and thriving, trees with greater than fifty percent (50%) of the circumference of the bark removed anywhere along the trunk, trees that are in conflict with surrounding infrastructure, or trees with a high risk of failure shall be removed and replaced. Removal and protection. 1. The natural landscape shall be preserved in all possible instances. 2. Not more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the landscaping on any non-exempt land may be destroyed within any five year period without prior approval of the administrator, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The issuance of a building permit or land disturbance activity permit shall also constitute approval by the administrator. It is not the intention of this requirement to prevent any owner from thinning by cutting and removing undesirable shrubs, vines, and excess trees, consistent with good forestry practices, in order to protect and promote the development and growth of the remaining trees and shrubbery. ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 3. During development there shall be erected and maintained suitable protective barriers around all trees to be retained so as to prevent damage thereto. All building materials, dirt or other debris shall be kept outside the barriers. There shall be no paving with any impervious materials or grading within the Critical Root Zone (CRZ) of any trees retained. 4. Unobstructed view. At a minimum, no planted material or landscaping structure with a height greater than three feet shall be permitted within an area beginning at the intersection of any right-of-way lines of any streets, roads, highways, driveways, curb cuts, or railroads, and extending twenty (20) feet along each such right-of-way, and closed by a straight line connecting the end points of the said twenty (20) feet sections of the right-of-way lines. Irrigation systems. Irrigation or sprinkler systems shall not be installed within a public right-of-way. Sec. 17-68. Submission of site plans. Site plan. Where construction plans are submitted to the city, a landscaping site plan for the development or the improvement of any nonexempt parcel of land shall be submitted. No building permit shall be issued for projects/lots until the landscaping site plan has been reviewed and approved by the director of planning and development or his or her designated representative. The landscaping site plans shall show the following information: 1. The building site with corresponding dimensions; 2. The buildable area with corresponding dimensions; 3. The landscaped area with corresponding dimensions; 4. The specific name(s), location(s), and circular outline(s) of the Critical Root Zone (CRZ) of trees and plant materials (landscaping) to be plated or conserved on the site; 5. The location and dimensions of all required landscape borders, strips, and planter islands; 6. All plans must be to a scale no less than one inch equals one hundred (100) feet; 7. A location map; 8. The name of the project; 9. The name of the owner; and 10. Plant material list including the number and species of each type of tree to be installed. 11. Impervious surface area listed as a percent of the lot. Sec. 17-69. Landscaping Alternative Installation Agreement Required landscaping of new developments in the City of Cartersville must be installed prior to the recording of the final plat for that phase or prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for that phase as stated in the City of Cartersville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 17, Article IV, Landscaping Ordinance, Section 17-67. However, during the non-planting season (March through September) such required installation of landscaping materials on properties that do not have an underground irrigation system to provide water to the newly installed landscaping may be waived. This waiver may also be allowed during periods of outdoor watering restrictions with the agreement that all required landscaping shall be installed no later than October 31st of the same year, and upon installation, the owner of the property or his or her agent or representative shall contact the department of planning and development for an inspection of the landscaping for compliance with the landscaping plan for the subject property. Failure to install the required landscaping materials by the above stated deadline shall be considered a violation of the City of Cartersville Landscaping Ordinance whereby the property owner shall be ---PAGE BREAK--- 8 notified of such violation as stated under Section 17-70, Enforcement, Violations and Penalties, and subject to said penalties as stated therein. I owner or agent or representative of the property (Please Print) located at (Address) have read the above agreement and do hereby agree to the requirements as stated herein. Phone Signed Date Sec. 17-70. Enforcement, violations and penalties. Enforcement. Enforcement of the provisions of this article shall be the responsibility of the administrator. If, after inspection of a project by the administrator or his designee the plant materials installed on the site do not comply with the approved plan, the administrator or his designee will so note in writing. If the administrator deems the deviations from the approved plan acceptable, he will so note, and the property owner or respective agent will be required to submit a revised plan showing the actual plantings. This revised plan will be placed on file at the department of planning and development. Violation. If, after inspection, the administrator or his designee determines the site does not comply with the approved plan and further determines it to be unacceptable, the property owner or respective agent shall be notified in writing by the department of planning and development of said violations and given thirty (30) days in which to correct all violations. Failure to make such corrections shall be in violation of this section. Penalty. The property owner or respective agent responsible for the violation shall be deemed guilty of a violation of city ordinance and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Each act of violation and each day upon which any such violation shall occur shall constitute a separate offense. Sec. 17-71 Alternative Landscaping Plan An applicant, developer or otherwise, may submit an alternative landscaping plan to the planning and development department for review. The alternative landscaping plan shall only be applicable to the standards of sections 17-65 and 17-66. The director of planning and development may, in his or her discretion, approve any such alternative plan; provided the director finds that the alternative plan is at least the equivalent of that prescribed in this chapter. In rendering his or her decision, the director shall consider preexisting topographic, geological, hydrological, lot layout, or environmental factors. The director shall require that sufficient evidence or proof be submitted to substantiate any claim made regarding the alternative plan. ---PAGE BREAK--- 9 To initiate an application for an alternative landscaping plan, an application must be submitted to the department of planning and development which shall include the following: 1. A completed application form supplied by the department of planning and development must be completed by the applicant. 2. A non-refundable fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be required at the time of submission of an application. 3. A written narrative explaining and justifying the request. 4. An alternative landscaping plan containing the following: a. The building site with corresponding dimensions; b. The buildable area with corresponding dimensions; c. The landscaped area with corresponding dimensions; d. The specific names and locations of trees and plant materials (landscaping) to be planted on the site; e. The location and dimensions of all proposed landscape borders, strips, and planter islands; f. All plans must be to a scale no less than one inch equals one hundred (100) feet; g. A location map; h. The name of the project; i. The name of the owner; j. Impervious surface area listed as a percent of the lot. Review for completeness. The planning and development department shall review the application for completeness within seven calendar days of submission. Incomplete or improper applications will be returned to the applicant. Decision. In rendering a decision on an alternative landscaping plan application, the director of planning and development shall consider all information supplied by the applicant. Within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of a completed application for an alternative landscaping plan, the director shall: 1. Approve the application as submitted; 2. Approve the application with conditions; or 3. Deny the application. Remedy. Any person who is denied an application for an alternative landscaping plan pursuant to this chapter may file an application for variance with the Board of Zoning Appeals. Records. The director of planning and development shall keep public records of all alternative landscaping plans applied for and granted pursuant to this chapter. Sec. 17-72 Appeal. Procedures for appeal of any decision or interpretation of this article by the zoning enforcement officer shall be as stated in the Cartersville Zoning Ordinance. There shall be no deviation from the terms of this article unless the director of planning and development has approved a submitted alternative landscaping plan or a variance has been granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals. Variances from the provisions of this article may be applied for and granted in the same procedural manner as variances from the Cartersville Zoning Ordinance. ---PAGE BREAK--- 10 For a variance to be granted from this article, each of the following must be shown: 1. No characteristics contrary to the public interest will be promoted. No resulting variance shall create an effect or condition contrary to the public safety and welfare. Relief shall not impair the purposes of this article. 2. A unique hardship exists because of an extraordinary and exceptional condition(s) pertaining to the particular piece of property in question because of a characteristic of its size, shape, topography or like characteristic. In the absence of the factors listed in the preceding sentence, economic or financial hardship alone may not be sufficient to support the grant of a variance. 3. The condition causing the hardship is unique and is not common to the region in general. Request for variances regarding any part of this article or enforcement thereof shall specifically include reasons why the application should be granted. Decisions of the Board of Zoning Appeals shall be final, subject to such legal remedies an aggrieved party may have. Any appeal from a decision of the Board of Zoning Appeals must be filed within thirty (30) days of the decision. ---PAGE BREAK--- 11 Sec. 17-73 Small trees. Common name (Botanical name) Texture Form Height/ Spread Growth rate Group Remarks Crabapple, southern (malus angustifolia) Medium Horizontal branching 15--25'/ 15--15' Medium Deciduous Flowers fragrant, pinkish-white Dogwood, flowering (cornus florida) Medium Horizontal branching 15--25'/ 15--20' Slow Deciduous Specimen or masses Fringe tree or Graybeard, fancy (chionanthus virginicus) Coarse Irregular 10--20'/ 10--15' Slow to Medium Deciduous White flowers Holly, american (ilex opaca) Coarse Pyramidal 20--50'/ 15--30' Medium Broadleaved evergreen Dark green foliage; specimen; screening Holly, yaupon (ilex vomitoria) Fine Pyramidal 10--20'/ 8--10' Fast Broadleaved evergreen Screening, hedge Magnolia, sweetbay (magnolia virginiana) Coarse Upright 15--20'/ 10--20' Slow Semi-evergreen White flowers crape (lagerstroemia indica) Fine Upright 20--30'/ 10--15' Fast Deciduous White, pink, or red flowers Redbud or Judas tree (cercis canadensis) Medium Oval 25--30'/ 18--20' Medium Deciduous Spring flowering Silverbell (halesia carolina) Medium Spreading 20--30'/ 15--20' Medium Deciduous White flowers Sourwood (oxydendrum arboretum) Medium to coarse Upright 30--41'/ 15--20' Medium Deciduous Red fall color ---PAGE BREAK--- 12 Sec. 17-74 Large trees. Common name (Botanical name) Texture Form Height/ Spread Growth rate Group Remarks Ash, white (fraxinus americana) Fine to medium Spreading 60--70'/ 30--40' Fast Deciduous Shade Beech, american (fagus grandifolia) Coarse Rounded 60--80'/ 35--45' Medium to fast Deciduous Shade Birch, river (betula nigra) Medium Oval 50--60'/ 40--50' Fast Deciduous Specimen Cypress, leyland (cupressocyparis leylandii) Fine Pyramidal 50--60'/ 20--30' Fast Conifer Specimen; screening Hackberry, sugar (celtis laevigata) Medium Upright to rounded 60--80'/ 25--35' Medium Deciduous Streets; shade Magnolia, southern (magnolia grandiflora) Coarse Horizontal branching, pyramidal 60--80'/ 40--50' Slow to medium Broadleaf evergreen Specimen; large white flowers Maple, florida or southern sugar (acer floridanum) Medium Oval 40--50'/ 25--35' Medium to fast Deciduous Shade; orange to red fall color Maple, red (acer rubrum) Medium Rounded 40--50'/ 25--35' Medium Deciduous Shade; red fall color Maple, sugar (acer saccharum) Medium Oval 60--80'/ 25--40' Medium to fast Deciduous Yellow to reddish fall color; shade Oak, laurel or darlington (quercus hemisphaerica) Medium Rounded 60--80'/ 40--60' Medium Semi- evergreen Drought-tolerant; street tree Oak, pin (quercus palustris) Medium Pyramidal 50--60'/ 25--40' Medium Deciduous Shade; specimen Oak, sawtooth (quercus acutissima) Medium Pyramidal 50--60'/ 30--60' Fast Deciduous Shade; specimen Oak, scarlet (quercus cocinea) Medium Rounded 60--80'/ 30--40' Medium Deciduous Scarlet fall color; shade Oak, shumard (quercus shumardii) Medium Rounded to oval 60--80'/ 50--60' Medium Deciduous Scarlet fall color; good street tree ---PAGE BREAK--- 13 Oak, southern red (quercus falcate) Coarse Rounded 70--80'/ 30--60' Medium Deciduous Sheds leaves in early spring; shade Oak, swamp laurel (quercus laurifolia) Medium Rounded 60--80'/ 30--40' Medium Semi- evergreen Shade; sheds earlier than laurel oak Oak, water (quercus nigra) Medium Rounded 50--80'/ 40--50' Medium to fast Deciduous Shade Oak, white (quercus alba) Medium to coarse Rounded 60--100'/ 40--60' Slow Deciduous Shade Oak, willow (quercus phellos) Fine Rounded 40--60'/ 30--60' Medium Deciduous Yellow fall color; shade Pecan (carya illinoinesis) Medium Rounded 50--60'/ 30--40' Medium Deciduous Nuts and shade Pine, loblolly (pinus taeda) Medium Horizontal branching 80--100'/ 20--30' Fast Conifer Mass plantings; screenings Pine, longleaf (pinus palustris) Medium Horizontal branching 80--100'/ 20--25' Fast Conifer Mass plantings Pine, slash (pinus caribaea) Medium Horizontal branching 80--100'/ 15--20' Fast Conifer Mass plantings Pine, virginia (pinus virginana) Medium Pyramidal 20--45'/ 15--20' Medium Conifer Good for screening Pine, white (pinus strobes) Medium Pyramidal 80--100'/ 25--40' Medium Conifer Specimen; screening Serviceberry (amelanchier arborea) Medium Oval 30--40'/ 15--20' Medium Deciduous Borders; white flowers in early spring Sweetgum (liquidambar styraciflua) Coarse Oval 80--100'/ 40--50' Fast Deciduous Yellow to orange and purple fall color; specimen Sycamore or planetree (platanus occidentalis) Coarse Upright 80--100'/ 40--50' Fast Deciduous Shade Tuliptree or yellow poplar (liriodendron tulipifera) Coarse Pyramidal 80--100'/ 30--40' Fast Deciduous Yellowish tulip-like flowers; shade Tupelo, black (nyssa sylvatica) Medium Oval 70--80'/ 40--50' Medium Deciduous Naturalistic gardens Sec. 17-75 Reserved.