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No canopy closure - spacing too far
Charleston, South Caroline planted these trees ten feet from the curb in a downtown park. Trees gained tremendous size due to the almost unlimited access roots had to soil space. Trees were planted about 50 feet apart.
Because trees were spaced this far apart, they began to grow aggressive lower limbs as shown above. Lower limbs are drooping, creating a more spreading habit than would have occurred with closer spacing. The lower limbs must be pruned or removed to allow passage. This increases maintenance costs and can encourage an unhealthy urban forest by initiating decay in the large pruning cuts that are necessary. Plant trees closer than this in order to create an urban forest.
