Where Are the TREES In Indy Suburbs? (Brook: how much, cheap house)

[brucerby]

I live in Chicago western suburbs most of my life. Have been thinking of relocating to Indy suburbs for some time. But, I'm perplexed a bit as to why so many Indy 10 -15+ year old subdivisions of tract homes have so few trees...and what trees they do have are usually small and scrawny?

In most Chicago suburbs, btw, there a TONS of trees. Any 10 year old development will have not only many trees everywhere, but by that point in time, they'll be mature enough to really add to the character of the neighborhood.

So, what's up with the lack of trees? (is this possibly a soil issue?)

[sweetana3]

Soil yes, lots of clay and unimproved by builder.

Choice of trees. Lack of diversity. Lots of short lived Bradford Pear trees which eventually get weak from multiple trunks and break off in wind. But cheap and fast growing.

Clear and build nature of Indiana. All original green material is removed.

However, there are some nice wooded subdivisions. They are higher end where the homeowners invested the proper amount in the landscaping and really care for it. Note how much better to have bigger planting beds than the 2 or so feet the builders put in straight around the home.

[Zoo Animals On Wheels]

As the previous poster noted, there are lots of trees in nicer (pricier) subdivisions, especially those with custom homes. Also if you're willing to live in a 30+ year-old subdivision, there will usually be a lot of mature trees.

Those newer places put up in the last 20 years or so were made cheap, cheap, cheap, on tiny lots that were clear-cut before construction began. There's a reason some of these places go for less than $100K. Pay a bit more, or buy in an older neighborhood, and you can have trees to your heart's delight.

[domergurl]

Also, keep in mind that Chicago went suburban sprawl before Indy did. And I found, when we built in Lake county Illinois, the county was really strict on how many trees, open space, etc HAD to be included in the new neighborhoods. I don't think there's so much pickiness in Indiana.

[1BigBear]

They Paved Paradise→ and they put up a parking lot ♦ -err- (Subdivision)!. Happens everywhere.
give it 10 years.!

[chalcedony]

Is there more than corn in Indiana? 80% of the suburbs w/ vinyl village-type stuff going up are in former cornfields, so there were no trees to begin with. Ash trees are supposed to be fast-growing, but there is a widespread concern of a blight that has already decimated their populations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Like someone else said, the nice and more mature neighborhoods have many more trees, but it usually takes 20 years minimum for most species to mature and develop a real canopy.

The neighborhood I partially grew up in was a forest when it was developed in the mid-1980s. They tried to develop carefully and preserve the trees, with only marginal success, because most trees die upon the shock of development. Our neighbors positioned their house with a ridiculously long driveway because it was better poised to save a grove of 22 trees. Despite this clever tactic, all but 4 died from shock.

Try Google Streetview on Chicago's south side suburbs; you'd be surprised how many of the developments going up look just like the stuff in Indy. In 20 years some of these saplings will grow and look quite nice; my concern is the development standards and building quality is so low for these big cheap houses that the homes themselves may be dilapidated by the time the trees are mature.

[ihynes]

All of the ash trees that were planted in Brookfield, Illinois are big and old, but they are starting to rot from the inside. The fast growing trees are not worth it, in the end. You might want to find out what's native to your area and choose from those.

[brucerby]

Thanks for the feedback....Its interesting how close to one another distance-wise Indy and Chicago are and yet how different in terms of aesthetic property standards.

Another example: In Chicago suburbs you really have to spend some money to be looking at subdivision with concrete driveways standard. Its almost always blacktop driveways until you get in the higher prices.

Yet in Indy I regularly see concrete driveways in the most modest houses! Weird.
NOTE: you see concrete driveways all over the southern states, but there I assume its a heat issue.

As to the trees, I'm only referring to new planted saplings etc. In most Chicago suburbs, they really don't 'save' too many older trees when staring construction. It's just that they do plant a lot more new ones, apparently.

That's also a good point about the fast growing variety of trees. They help to fill out a neighborhood quickly but 20 years later, they often die. I know, as I've got one in my backyard here that's starting to go at about 17 years :-(

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by ihynes

All of the ash trees that were planted in Brookfield, Illinois are big and old, but they are starting to rot from the inside. The fast growing trees are not worth it, in the end. You might want to find out what's native to your area and choose from those.

I used to live in the Hollywood section of brookfied. Awesome place to live.

I remember in the mid to late 90's when Naperville was becoming Naperville, I don't recall seeing many trees at all whenever we'd visit friends out that way.

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by ihynes

All of the ash trees that were planted in Brookfield, Illinois are big and old, but they are starting to rot from the inside. The fast growing trees are not worth it, in the end. You might want to find out what's native to your area and choose from those.

I believe those ash trees have been attacked by borers.