Sustainability Committee

Latest Updates

Report Spotted Lanterfly Sightings

The Spotted Lantern Fly is an invasive insect that is now unfortunately present in our area. This pest has the potential to destroy considerable portions of our tree canopy. We need the public’s help in identifying and destroying this insect. Late summer through November is the best time to spot the Spotted Lantern Fly because it is in its most recognizable stages as a colorful winged adult plant hopper. After hatching in the late spring, the SLF goes through four nymph stages. By midsummer, the nymph Spotted Lantern Fly can be identified by its red body, roughly a half-inch in size, with black stripes and white dots. During the late summer until roughly November, the SLF is in the adult stage. These adults are larger, roughly one inch in size, with black bodies and brightly colored wings:

Adult Spotted Lantern Fly are attracted to the invasive Ailanthus tree, also known as tree-of-heaven, while nymphs feed on a wide range of hosts. It is important to remove any tree-of-heaven on your property, and monitor mature trees of any type for signs of Spotted Lantern Fly.

Adults lay eggs September through December, while egg masses have been spotted from September to June. Egg masses hold about 30 to 50 eggs and are approximately one inch in size. Females can lay up to two egg masses, typically on flat surfaces including tree bark, rocks, lawn furniture, or anything left outdoors. Although the adults don’t survive through the winter, the eggs can. If you encounter the spotted lantern fly, you’re encouraged to squish it. You should also report any spotted lantern flies or egg masses and you can scrape them off using a plastic card or putty knife. Scrape them into a bag or container filled with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer and keep them in this solution permanently.

Trees & Plant Species to Avoid Planting

The Tree Advisory Board, in the spirit of sustainability and in order to remediate damage done by traditional landscaping practices, has compiled a list of tree/shrub/plant species that we recommend NOT planting. The hope is that this list, along with the expertise of the TAB and its partners, can educate the community about ecologically sustainable practices and plantings that are habitat-friendly choices.

In a world where we are seeing the loss of numerous species that were once abundant, and keystone species of flora and fauna are becoming endangered, it is important for each of us to understand our part in using our own spaces to create habitat where native ecosystems can exist.

The list is compiled using species on current prohibited lists of municipalities, watch/prohibited lists of parklands, and data-based information on species demonstrated, or potentially able to naturalize and/or spread from plantings. This list is not exhaustive, and most likely may omit a number of species that are problematic. For more information, please contact the Tree Advisory Board. Download a PDF version of the list.

Primary Tree Species to Avoid Planting
Acer campestre – Hedge Maple* Acer buergerianum – Trident Maple* Acer negundo – Box elder* Acer ginnala – Amur Maple* Acer platanoides – Norway maple (all forms, including King Crimson)* Acer pseudoplatanus – Planetree/Sycamore Maple* Acer tataricum – Tartarian Maple* Aesculus hippocastanum - Horsechestnut Ailanthus altissima – Tree of Heaven Albizia julibrissin – Mimosa/Silk Tree Alnus glutinosa – European Black Alder Broussonetia papyrifera – Paper Mulberry Chionanthus retusus - Chinese fringetree Elaeagnus angustifolia – Russian Olive Elaeagnus umbellate – Autumn Olive Eucommia ulmoides - Hardy Rubber Tree Koelreuteria paniculate – Golden Rain Tree Morus alba – White Mulberry Paulownia tomentosa – Empress Tree	Phellodendron amurense – Amur Corktree Phellodendron japonica – Japanese Corktree Populus alba – White Poplar Pyrus calleryana – Callery Pear (including Bradford) Quercus acutissima – Sawtooth Oak* Quercus dentata – Korean Oak* Quercus Robur – English Oak* Rhamnus cathartica – Common Buckthorn Rhamnus frangula – Glossy Buckthorn Salix alba – White Willow Salix fragilis – Crack Willow Styphnolobium japonicum – Pagoda Tree Styrax japonicus – Japanese Snowbell Syringa reticulata – Japanese Tree Lilac (Ivory Silk) Tetradium daniellii – Korean Evodia Ulmus parvifolia – Chinese Elm Ulmus pumila – Siberian Elm Zelkova serrata - Japanese zelkova *The planting of non-native maples and oaks should be avoided in general due to their capacity to abundantly reproduce and escape; there are numerous native maple and oak alternatives

Primary Tree Species to Avoid Planting

Acer campestre – Hedge Maple*

Acer buergerianum – Trident Maple*

Acer negundo – Box elder*

Acer ginnala – Amur Maple*

Acer platanoides – Norway maple (all forms, including King Crimson)*

Acer pseudoplatanus – Planetree/Sycamore Maple*

Acer tataricum – Tartarian Maple*

Aesculus hippocastanum - Horsechestnut

Ailanthus altissima – Tree of Heaven

Albizia julibrissin – Mimosa/Silk Tree

Alnus glutinosa – European Black Alder

Broussonetia papyrifera – Paper Mulberry

Chionanthus retusus - Chinese fringetree

Elaeagnus angustifolia – Russian Olive

Elaeagnus umbellate – Autumn Olive

Eucommia ulmoides - Hardy Rubber Tree

Koelreuteria paniculate – Golden Rain Tree

Morus alba – White Mulberry

Paulownia tomentosa – Empress Tree

Phellodendron amurense – Amur Corktree

Phellodendron japonica – Japanese Corktree

Populus alba – White Poplar

Pyrus calleryana – Callery Pear (including Bradford)

Quercus acutissima – Sawtooth Oak*

Quercus dentata – Korean Oak*

Quercus Robur – English Oak*

Rhamnus cathartica – Common Buckthorn

Rhamnus frangula – Glossy Buckthorn

Salix alba – White Willow

Salix fragilis – Crack Willow

Styphnolobium japonicum – Pagoda Tree

Styrax japonicus – Japanese Snowbell

Syringa reticulata – Japanese Tree Lilac (Ivory Silk)

Tetradium daniellii – Korean Evodia

Ulmus parvifolia – Chinese Elm

Ulmus pumila – Siberian Elm

Zelkova serrata - Japanese zelkova

*The planting of non-native maples and oaks should be avoided in general due to their capacity to abundantly reproduce and escape; there are numerous native maple and oak alternatives

Primary Shrub Species to Avoid Planting
Berberis thunbergia - Japanese Barberry Berberis vulgaris - European Barberry Buddleja davidii – Butterfly Bush Cotoneaster multiflorus - Many-flowered cotoneaster Cotoneaster acutifolia – Peking cotoneaster Euonymus alatus – Burning bush Euonymus europeaus - European spindletree Lespedeza bicolor - Shrub lespedeza Ligustrum obtusifolium - Border privet/Common privet L. vulgare L. amurense L. japonicum L. ovalifolium L. sinense Lonicera x bella - Bell's honeysuckle Lonicera maackii - Amur honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii - Morrow's honeysuckle Lonicera tatarica - Tartarian honeysuckle *include any non-native Lonicera shrub Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus, Pseudosasa, and	Bambusa - Bamboo Rhodotypos scandens - Jetbead Rosa multiflora - Multiflora rose Rubus phoenicolasius - Wineberry Spiraea japonica - Japanese meadowsweet Viburnum lantana – Wayfaring-Tree Viburnum opulus – European cranberry bush viburnum Please avoid these bamboo species as well: Bambusa vulgaris – Common Bamboo Phyllostachys aurea – Golden Bamboo Phyllostachys aureosulcata – Yellow Grove Bamboo Phyllostachys bissetii – Bissetii Phyllostachys rubromarginata – Red Margin Bamboo Pseudosasa japonica – Arrow Bamboo In addition to species in the genera: Sasa and Pleioblastus If a bamboo is insisted upon, giant reed (Arundinaria gigantea) is a good native alternative to consider

Primary Shrub Species to Avoid Planting

Berberis thunbergia - Japanese Barberry

Berberis vulgaris - European Barberry

Buddleja davidii – Butterfly Bush

Cotoneaster multiflorus - Many-flowered cotoneaster

Cotoneaster acutifolia – Peking cotoneaster

Euonymus alatus – Burning bush

Euonymus europeaus - European spindletree

Lespedeza bicolor - Shrub lespedeza

Ligustrum obtusifolium - Border privet/Common privet

L. vulgare

L. amurense