Street Trees and Tree Care

trees along an Oshawa trail

Street trees are an important part of the City's streetscape. Trees add value to your property and provide beneficial services to us like reducing runoff and improving air quality. They also benefit our mental health and can even reduce stress and anxiety.

Tree Ownership

Oshawa Forestry services are responsible for planting and maintaining City trees on boulevards, parks and green spaces.

To determine if a tree is located on your property or on City property, review the property lines on your home survey. Generally, City trees are planted within two metres of the curb or within one and a half metres from the sidewalk on the boulevard side.

Private trees

If you have an issue with a tree within your property lines, please contact a qualified tree service company.

Forestry requests

Tree pruning

Proper care of our street trees helps maintain the tree's structure, maintain good visibility and prevent conflicts with the built environment. Street tree maintenance is completed on a 10-year cycle or by request.
Request tree pruning

Tree removal

All trees are inspected and assessed by a certified Arborist before a decision is made to remove them. We remove trees affected by pests and disease, or ones which pose a safety risk to residents.

Create a service request

Tree planting

We are committed to growing our tree canopy. You can request a new tree for your boulevard and Forestry staff will inspect and determine if it is possible. All trees removed on City property go on the stumping and planting list to be replaced.

Tree Planting page

Stump removal

When we remove a tree, it will be cut low to the ground and placed on our stump and replace list. Occasionally, a ‘peg' will be left standing to be removed at a later date with other Forestry equipment.

Pest management and tree disease

We actively monitor and assess our tree canopy health but we do not spray for any pests or diseases.

Emerald ash borer

Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive beetle that feeds on all ash (Fraxinus) species in Ontario, including green, red, white, black and blue ash, as well as some non-native species such as European black ash (Fraxinus excelsior).

Japanese Beetle

Japanese Beetles are Leaf Skeletonizers, which eat the soft outer tissues of foliage while leaving behind a skeletal network of veins. When a tree is skeletonized, it does not mean it has died. A tree will often respond by producing new leaves by the end of the season. Japanese beetle is not a serious tree health concern unless infestations occur repeatedly and severely on the same tree.

The City will not put out traps for this insect. Although the pheromone and floral lures sold with the traps are very effective and attract many beetles each day, the traps attract more beetles than are caught. This results in other species of trees or plants being at risk of suffering damage from this insect.

Lymantria Dispar Dispar (L.D.D.) moth

Identifying L.D.D. moth

Overwinters in the egg stage, often on the bark of trees.
Eggs hatch in the spring, and larvae ascend the trees to feed on the new foliage.
Feeding occurs during the day, but as the caterpillars mature, feeding occurs mainly at night.
Mature caterpillars are 50 mm long, dark coloured, hairy, with a double row of five pairs of blue spots, followed by a double row of six pairs of red spots.
Feeding finishes by August.
Male moths are light brown and slender-bodied, while females are white and heavy-bodied.

Life Cycle

The L.D.D. moth has four distinct developmental stages in its life cycle similar to other moths and butterflies:

1. Egg (Late August to early May)

L.D.D. moth egg mass

2. Caterpillar (Early May to mid-July)

L.D.D. caterpillar

3. Pupae or Cocoon (Mid-July to early August)

L.D.D. cocoon

4. Moth (Late July to late August)

L.D.D. Gypsy Moth

Infestation

L.D.D. moth outbreaks can occur every seven to ten years.

Caterpillars chew holes or devour entire leaves.
In late July, you can find spongy egg masses on the trunks and branches of infected trees.
During severe outbreaks, trees and shrubs are defoliated over large areas. Despite the trees' ability to produce a new crop of leaves in the same season, the damage can be harmful to the tree and makes it more susceptible to secondary pests, drought, or poor growing conditions.

Management tips

Visit the Government of Ontario website for best practices and management strategies when dealing with L.D.D. both in your community and on private property.

Frequently asked questions

Will the City spray for L.D.D.?

No. The City of Oshawa does not currently spray for L.D.D. The City's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan focuses on other strategies for management of pests and diseases that do not involve the use of pesticides.

What do I do if I see L.D.D.?

You can report sightings or infestations to Service Oshawa, or:
- EDDMapS Ontario, 1-800-563-7711
- Canada-wide: Invasive Species Centre

How can I help reduce the L.D.D. population?

CAUTION: Please ensure you are wearing proper hand protection when dealing with L.D.D. as contact is known to cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.

My tree has been defoliated. Is it dead?

No. Although the tree may have been defoliated, it is very unlikely to die. The tree will work to flush out a second set of foliage in the same season. Repeated defoliation can cause severe stress if sustained over many years. This could lead to the tree's decline; but it is rare for the tree to succumb to L.D.D. moth in one season.

Tar Spot

Tar spot is a fungal disease that does not harm the tree and only affects the appearance of the leaves. It begins as small yellow spots that become larger and turn black as the season progresses. To reduce or prevent this, rake up leaves and dispose of them immediately instead of placing them in a compost pile. The disease can over-winter on the ground in fallen leaves and is very hard to get completely remove from an area.