Utica’s Trees & Flowers
From the bright, cheerful colors of spring to the reds and golds of fall, learn more about Utica’s native trees, plants, and flowers. We explore the benefits of trees in our cities as well as provide planting and pruning tips.
Trees and flowers enhance our natural environment, quality of life, and beautify our historic parks.
Benefits of Utica’s Tree Canopy:
- Trees clean our air.
- Trees help our physical and mental health by reducing stress and contributing to healthy development in children.
- Tree canopies are home to our wildlife friends.
- Trees give our area shade and help keep urban environments cooler by as much as 10 degrees.
- Trees help clean our water supply.
- Trees mitigate flood damage.
Could Your Green Thumb Be a Little Greener?
Check out our planting and care tips to learn how to grow and maintain beautiful seasonal flowers.
- Choose the right flowers for the right season.
- Understand the difference between annuals, perennials, and bulbs.
- Choose flowers that attract pollinators.
- Learn the best times to plant seeds, bulbs, and flowers in your flower beds.
Did You Know?
Utica's four main parks were designed by the Olmsted Brothers Firm over the course of 20 years, beginning in 1906?
Trees & Flowers FAQs
What are the most common species of trees in Utica?
Norway maple, sugar maple, and black cherry.
How many tons of oxygen do Utica’s trees produce each year?
In T.R. Proctor and F.T. Proctor parks alone, the trees in those two parks produce 56.04 tons of oxygen each year.
How many trees are in Utica’s parks?
There are more than 3,084 trees in T.R. Proctor and F.T. Proctor parks.
What is the best time of year to plant bulbs?
It depends! Spring-flowering bulbs should be planted six to eight weeks prior to the first frost when soil begins to freeze. Summer-blooming flowers such as dahlia or gladiolus should be planted in spring after all danger of frost has passed.
What is the best time of year to prune shrubs?
In general, light pruning can be performed on most deciduous trees and shrubs in the summer. Heavier pruning should be performed when the tree is dormant, preferably in late winter before active growth begins in spring.