Trimming & Pruning in Buffalo, NY

Trees we see most in Buffalo

• American elm Legacy Olmsted elms still succumb to Dutch elm disease
• White ash Thousands of street ash lost to emerald ash borer; remaining dead ash are brittle hazards
• Northern red oak / pin oak Parkway and yard oaks; pin oak chlorosis in alkaline fill and oak wilt pruning cautions
• London planetree Big tolerant street tree on wider avenues; sheds bark and large limbs with age
• Littleleaf linden Olmsted parkway and street tree; aphid honeydew drip and weak limb unions on older specimens
• Honeylocust Widely planted post-EAB replacement on city streets; tolerant of salt and compacted soil

Pests & disease to watch

• Emerald ash borer Established in Erie County since 2011; the City has removed thousands of street ash and dead ash keep failing
• Spotted lanternfly Confirmed in the City of Buffalo in 2023; feeds on tree-of-heaven, maple, walnut and grapevines
• Beech leaf disease Confirmed in Erie County; beech decline in yards and parks
• Dutch elm disease Still active on the city's remaining American elms
• Maple tar spot Cosmetic fungal leaf spots on Norway maples every late summer; rake and destroy leaves

Weather & timing

• Lake-effect snow The November 2022 storm dropped 6+ feet on South Buffalo; wet lake snow loads break limbs and whole crowns
• Early-season snow on leafed trees The October 2006 'Arborgeddon' storm damaged tens of thousands of trees still in leaf
• Lake Erie windstorms 60-70+ mph gusts off the lake (December 2022 blizzard, spring wind events) topple shallow-rooted and weak trees
• Ice storms and freeze-thaw Freezing rain and repeated thaws crack trunks and bring down ice-coated limbs

Best time: Late fall (November) and late winter to early spring (March-April) are best in Buffalo: trees are dormant, crews work before and after peak lake-effect snow, and dormant pruning satisfies oak wilt and elm guidance.