Update on the Health of Bratenahl Village Trees

The Shade Tree Commission has been active in addressing the health of our tree canopy. In March, we pruned 20% of Village trees in keeping with our program for annual maintenance of our mature trees. In May, we injected all 18 of our ash trees on Burton and Foster Avenues to prevent infestation with Emerald Ash Borer. One ash is in guarded condition with non-Emerald Ash Borer related decay. We sprayed all 16 crabapple trees on the Eddy Road Median for scab, a fungus that causes thinning of the foliage but does not cause death when managed properly. We will treat them again this coming spring. Despite serial treatment with fungicide last year, the Austrian pines on the east side of the Eddy Road extension remain infested with blight, a fungus. Blight can cause tree death, so these pines will eventually need to be removed and replaced. We have not determined the variety of trees that will replace them. But, they will be subcanopy trees and therefore, will not fall prey to the severe under wire pruning practices of FirstEnergy. 

     I am sad to say we will soon lose an old friend, a dying silver maple in Village Park, just beyond the picnic area. Two years ago, in anticipation of this event, we planted a white oak close by. A dead elm will also be removed from Foster Field. We are fortunate to have a dense tree canopy in Bratenahl. Many of the trees are mature and nearing the end of life. Let us all be mindful of the importance of tree succession on both Village and private property. We intended to plant 19 trees this past spring. Many were to replace trees lost in the August 6 storm last year. We were unable to obtain the quality and variety of trees we wanted. Consequently, no trees were planted.  We plan to plant 8 to 10 trees this fall and many more next spring. We will post the location and variety of replacement tree when that has been determined.

(STC September 2025)