Urban trees should be planted in Vietnam
The article presents several species of urban trees recommended for planting across cities in Vietnam, particularly for public areas like streets, parks, gardens, lawns, and squares. The criteria include non-toxicity, pedestrian safety, compatibility with urban infrastructure, resilience to pests, diseases, and harsh conditions, as well as good aesthetic value (flowers, shape, seasonal interest).
Lagerstroemia
Lagerstroemia is an urban tree that should be planted on streets, parks, and urban areas because it creates landscapes, improves the climate, is heat-resistant, and can withstand harsh conditions, a biologist said.
According to Mr. Pham Van The, expert of the Plant Resources Department, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, the following tree species are non-toxic, are less likely to cause danger to pedestrians, are safe for traffic, and do not affect urban infrastructure works. They are resilient, have a long life, are resistant to pests and diseases, and have beautiful shapes and flowers that represent the characteristics of the seasons.
Lagerstroemia is drought-resistant, wind-resistant, and has beautiful flowers with many colors. Commonly grown species are: purple Lagerstroemia (L.) Pers.; wallflower (L. indica L.) with purple or pink flowers; ovalifolia (L. Teijm & Binn.) with purple flowers and large deep purple-pink flowers of Lagerstroemia (L. lecomtei Gagnep.).
Livistona
Livistona has a beautiful shape and is resistant to storms such as Livistona saribus (Lour.) Merr. ex A.Chev.); L. chinensis (Jacq.) R.Br. ex Mart. and L. halongensis T.H.Nguyen & Kiew. The picture shows a split palm. This species can grow 9.1 to 15.2 m tall with a canopy of 3.7 m.
Bauhinia
Bauhinia has a variety of flowers such as pink, white, purple or yellow. Some popular species are Bauhinia monandra Kurz; Bauhinia variegata L.; Bauhinia acuminata L.; Bauhinia purpurea L. and Bauhinia tomentosa L.. This species has beautiful flowers, blooming all year round, suitable for landscaping.
Peltophorum
Peltophorum has yellow flowers and long-lasting leaves. This species includes Peltophorum dasyrrhachis var. tonkinense (Pierre) K.Larsen & S.S.Larsen); Golden lim (P. dasyrrhachis(Miq.) Kurz) and lim xet (P. pterocarpum (DC.) K.Heyne). Because the tree has a round canopy and beautiful blooming flowers, it is used to provide shade on streets, parks, offices, and schools. In many large cities in Vietnam such as Hai Phong, Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, lim xet is one of the main tree species that accounts for a high structure in the urban green tree system.
Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn
Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn. ) has strong vitality and a flexible trunk. In Vietnam, this tree is present from north to south. They have beautiful trunks and roots, flowers are often red and fragrant when blooming, so they are often used as ornamental plants. Some people classify barringtonia as one of the four precious ornamental trees: sanh, sung, tung, loc.
Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby)
Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby) has a round canopy, creates good shade, leaves are almost green all year round, beautiful flowers.
Cassia
Cassia has pink or yellow flowers, beautiful foliage and is grown in many large cities. They include three species: Cassia agnes (de Wit) Brenan; C. javanica subsp.nodosa (Roxb.) K.Larsen & S.S.Larsen) and C. fistula L.
Urban Trees in Vietnam: Best Species & Planting Practices
Urban trees are a foundational element of city landscapes—they offer shade, beauty, clean air, and psychological well-being for residents. In Vietnam’s tropical/sub-tropical climate, with increasing urbanization and heat stress, selecting the right trees for public spaces like roadsides, parks, squares, and gardens is essential.
Here are tree species particularly well suited for urban planting in Vietnam, along with their benefits and tips for planting them well.
In addition, with a rich and diverse flora, Vietnam can select and domesticate ornamental and shade trees from natural forests; or beautiful and long-lived plants such as Palma, Moraceae, Bambusoideae, Dipterocarpaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Meliaceae, Sapindaceae, Gymnosperm group… The picture above is a Dipterocarpus species growing in the Central Highlands.
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