Township of Franklin, NJ
Home Menu
Advisory Plant List
Do not plant list advisory
Advisory: Do Not Plant List
Compiled by Franklin Township Shade Tree Commission
The Shade Tree Commission has produced an advisory "Do Not Plant Tree" list to raise awareness of trees that should not be planted around our Township. Many of the trees on the list are considered invasive species due to their aggressive growing habits that crowd out native species and negatively impact local biodiversity. The list also includes trees that attract invasive insect pests, are prone to diseases, or have poor growth habits that make them difficult or costly to manage.
*Trees on NJ Invasive Species Strike Team’s Do Not Plant List – visit https://www.fohvos.info/invasive-species-strike-team/ to learn more
alpha by Scientific Name
Do Not Plant – Invasive Trees*
- Acer palmatum (Japanese maple)
- Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
- Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore maple)
- Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
- Albizia julibrissin (Mimosa)
- Aralia elata (Japanese angelica tree)
- Cornus kousa (Kousa dogwood)
- Koelreuteria biopinnata (Golden raintree)
- Koelreuteria elegans (Golden raintree)
- Koelreuteria paniculate (Golden raintree)
- Magnolia kobus (Kobus magnolia)
- Paulownia tomentosa (Princess tree or Empress tree)
- Phellodendron amurense (Amur corktree)
- Populus alba (White poplar)
- Populus x canescens (Gray poplar)
- Prunus avium (Sweet cherry)
- Prunus subhirtella var. pendula (Weeping Higan cherry)
- Pyrus betulifolia (Birchleaf pear)
- Pyrus calleryana (Callery/Bradford pear)
- Robinia pseudoacacia (Black locust or false acacia)
- Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese elm)
- Ulmus procera (English elm)
- Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm)
- Zelkova serrata (Japanese zelkova)
Do Not Plant– Other tree concerns (pests, diseases, poor growth habits, etc.)
- Acer saccharinum (Silver maple) – susceptible to storm damage
- Fraxinus americana (White ash) – susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer
- Fraxinus nigra (Black ash) – susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer
- Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Green ash) – susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer
- Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree) – susceptible to storm damage
- Quercus coccinea (Scarlet oak) – susceptible to Oak wilt
- Quercus palustris (Pin oak) – susceptible to Oak wilt
- Quercus rubra (Northern red oak) – susceptible to Oak wilt
- Quercus velutina (Black oak) – susceptible to Oak wilt
alpha by Common Name
Do Not Plant – Invasive Trees*
- Amur corktree (Phellodendron amurense)
- Birchleaf pear (Pyrus betulifolia)
- Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
- Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana)
- Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana)
- Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
- Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa)
- Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
- False acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia)
- Golden raintree (Koelreuteria biopinnata, K. elegans, and K. paniculata)
- Gray poplar (Populus x canescens)
- Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata)
- Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
- Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata)
- Kobus magnolia (Magnolia kobus)
- Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin)
- Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
- Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
- Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)
- Sweet cherry (Prunus avium)
- Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
- Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- English elm (Ulmus procera)
- Weeping Higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella var. pendula)
- White poplar (Populus alba)
Do Not Plant– Other tree concerns (pests, diseases, poor growth habits, etc.)
- Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) – susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer
- Black oak (Quercus velutina) – susceptible to Oak wilt
- Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) – susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer
- Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) – susceptible to Oak wilt
- Pin oak (Quercus palustris) – susceptible to Oak wilt
- Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) – susceptible to Oak wilt
- Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) – susceptible to storm damage
- Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) – susceptible to storm damage
- White ash (Fraxinus americana) – susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer