'Tree City USA' & Street Trees

Tree City USA

The City of Crestwood has been a "Tree City USA" community since 1995. An annual Arbor Day celebration is held in April at Crestwood Park with participation from Long Elementary School. The City maintains a street tree inventory to keep track of our trees.

Through cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation, grants have been obtained periodically to fund forestry projects within the City. Over the year, corrective pruning is performed on City trees along the streets and in parks, to maintain their health and provide clearance for streets and sidewalks.

For more information about the Tree City USA program or the Arbor Day Foundation, please visit www.arborday.org. 

Planting Street Trees

If planting requirements are met, and an application is submitted to the Department of Public Works, residents may plant a tree in the City right-of-way. The species must be approved by the City prior to planting. The City maintains a list of Allowable species that may be planted as street trees and a list of Unallowable species which cannot be planted as street trees. These lists are not meant to be exhaustive, as varieties/cultivars change periodically. If you choose a tree that is not listed below, it must be approved by the City prior to approval of the application. 

Acceptable Tree Species Planting List*

*Evergreen trees are not allowed to be planted as street trees.

Unacceptable Street Tree Species Planting List


Please use caution when mowing or trimming around young trees. String trimmer damage is one of the leading causes of death for younger trees.

If you would like to request a Street Tree, please click here 

Request a Street Tree Application


Maintaining Street Trees

The City of Crestwood has street trees throughout many of its residential neighborhoods, with hundreds to thousands of trees planted since the founding of the City in 1947. Below are some of the responsibilities of property owners when it comes to street trees:

  • The owner of land (the property owner) shall be responsible for the maintenance of all landscape plantings located on his or her property and within the right-of-way to which the land abuts, unless said trees were specifically planted by the City within a public right-of-way. Trees planted by the city and located within public rights-of-way shall be maintained by the city. All required landscape plantings shall be maintained in a healthy and neat condition. These trees are not to be removed without prior permission from the City. 
  • It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to remove any trees, shrubs, or parts thereof, which are planted on their property and which overhang or interfere with traffic control devices, street lighting, public sidewalks, intersections, rights-of-ways, or property owned by the city.
  • Any dead or diseased tree, on private property or within public rights-of-way, which constitutes a hazard to life or property; is diseased or infested with destructive insects or fungi; or is injurious to sewers, electric power lines, gas lines, water lines, or other public improvements shall be removed.
  • The Director of Public Services (or their designated representative) shall have the authority to order the pruning or removal of any tree, or part thereof, on private property and/or within a public right-of-way. These trees would be in violation of the regulations and standards contained in Sections 26-21 of the City’s code.