Tree Care Awards Program

The Greenhills Tree Advisory Board would like to recognize and reward individuals, groups or businesses who take the initiative to preserve existing trees or plant new trees in the Village. The Board will accept letters of nomination for projects that include tree preservation, tree planting, environmentally sound site planning, or educate the public about trees. 

          Examples of possible nominations include:

• Careful repair/replacement of sidewalk to protect tree roots
• Regular professional pruning a trees
• Planting of a substantial number of new trees
• Incorporating a new landscape plan that includes the careful selection and planting of trees

Nominations are accepted year-round. Please click here to download the information.

Heritage Tree Program

The Greenhills Tree Advisory Board has developed a program to recognize,  appreciate and inspire awareness of the contribution trees make to Greenhills.  Before its development, Greenhills was farmland that had to be cleared and replanted. We want to increase public awareness of the significance and importance of our trees.

Many of the trees you see today were planted during the community’s development in the 1930s. Trees are part of the Village’s heritage.  There are many wonderful species thriving in the community – this is a wonderful way to recognize and nurture them for future generations.

To encourage public participation in the identification and perpetuation of heritage trees, the Tree Board invites residents to nominate trees that they believe are: of exceptional size, form or rarity, or horticultural value; or a tree of exceptional age, and/or associated with or contributing to a historic structure or district or with a noted person or historic event; or one which is a prominent identifying feature of the community. The Heritage Tree designation may be applied to a tree or grove of trees.

Anyone may nominate a tree or trees, but the person who owns the land on which the tree stands must consent to the nomination.  To be considered for Heritage Tree status, a nomination for the tree must be submitted to the Greenhills Tree Advisory Board.  If the nomination is favorably considered and the owner is in agreement, the tree will be designated as a Heritage Tree. Once approved, a certificate will be issued to the owner of the tree.  It is hoped that by recognizing the tree, the owner will be encouraged to preserve the tree.

To view the application materials, click here.

To view the Heritage Tree Register, click here. 

Memorial Tree Program

Greenhills offers a Memorial tree Program to honor or commemorate those who are special to us. 

For details, click here.

To view a list of potential planting sites, click here.

To view a map of the potential planting sites, click here.

LAW REGARDING DEAD, DISEASED OR OTHERWISE DANGEROUS TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY

Greenhills now has in place a new law requiring property owners to remove trees that are dead, diseased or otherwise a danger to the public.  The Village's certified arborist will evaluate trees and determine if remedial action is needed. If the Arborist determines the tree is, indeed, a danger to the public, the property owner will receive notice to remove the tree within a certain period of time. If the tree is not removed, the Village may take the tree down and charge the cost back to the property as a tax lien. 

The requirement is aimed solely at public safety.  If a tree is dead, but does not constitute a public hazard the Village will still inform the owner that they may want to take some action to avoid injury to themselves or to their property.  

If you are concerned about a tree, for your convenience a publication prepared by the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, can be viewed by clicking here. 

Official tree of Greenhills - the Overcup Oak

The giant Overcup Oak is the official tree of the Village of Greenhills. Though located in various parts of the Village, an impressive stand of the Overcup can be seen along Bradnor. How will you know it is an Overcup?  The top of the acorn comes down the sides of the acorn - almost to the bottom creating the "overcup." The Overcup is typically planted to improve wildlife habitat. Many animals eat the acorns including ducks, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, squirrels, and small rodents.

The Overcup is also planted as an ornamental.  The trees can withstand a variety of soil conditions and are tolerant to droughts and the cold.

Official Greenhills Bird  - The Pileated Woodpecker

You will find this large woodpecker in great numbers around Winton Woods and our Greenbelt. You will hear them drilling rectangular holes in trees to find carpenter ants.  These excavations can be so broad and deep that they can cause small trees to break in half.  These holes then create shelter for other birds, such as swifts, owls, and bats.

The Pileated will visit backyard feeders for suet.  They will also eat wild fruits and nuts in the woods.

The Pileated Woodpecker prefers large trees for nesting.  In young forests, it will use any large trees remaining from before the forest was cut.  Because these trees are larger than the rest of the forest, they present a lightning hazard to the nesting birds.  

The oldest known Pileated Woodpecker was 12 years 11 months old.

INVASIVE PLANTS

Did you know that honeysuckle is just one of the most invasive plants in our area?  Now joining honeysuckle as a very invasive plant is the Tree of Heaven, also known a the Sumac.  Click here for a picture and information about this plant.