About This Website
Database History
VNLA has maintained the tree canopy spread and coverage database for nearly a decade. The database was
originally developed by Virginia Tech horticulture professor, Dr. Bonnie
Appleton and her colleagues at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and
Extension Center. In 2009, Virginia Tech
urban forestry professor, Dr. Eric Wiseman and his colleagues in the Department
of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation expanded the database and
added new features to the website.
Database Purpose
The purpose of the database is to
provide horticulture enthusiasts, city planners, landscape designers, and urban foresters with information on the typical
canopy dimensions of common landscape trees at functional maturity. This information is valuable for planning and
designing urban landscapes. In
particular, the data provide guidance on proper species selection and
appropriate planting densities. In
recent years, urban foresters have increasingly relied on the
database for managing tree canopy coverage, which is a prominent issue in urban
sustainability.
Database Origins
The values depicted in the database are good-faith
estimates of expected tree growth in urban landscapes of the mid-Atlantic
region. Most of the values are based on
anecdotal observations published in a wide range of horticultural texts,
bulletins, journals, and websites. Some
values are based on actual tree growth trials.
Because the mid-Atlantic region has a wide range of physiography,
climate, and land use, caution must be exercised in using these values for a
particular application.
Website Features
The database is presented in its entirety on the main
webpage – grouped by deciduous and evergreen trees and sorted alphabetically by
botanical name. The database is also
available for download in Microsoft® Excel and Adobe® PDF formats. The webpage database is sortable by either
botanical name or tree size. In
addition, the botanical name of each species is hyperlinked to a fact sheet,
published by University of Florida and U.S. Forest Service,
that provides information on ecology and cultivation of the species.