By Ellen Edwards on behalf of the Bronxville Green Committee and the Bronxville Historical Conservancy

Note: You Can Apply for Bronxville’s Right-of-Way Tree-Planting Program HERE!

Jan. 27, 2026: One of Bronxville’s great virtues has always been its abundant tree canopy.  But that prized canopy is under threat.  

What Is a Tree Canopy?

The urban tree canopy is the layer of coverage provided by trees and other vegetation when viewed from above in an urban or suburban setting. Measuring the amount of area covered by tree canopy is important because it indicates how many trees are in an area and how much shade those trees are providing.

According to i-Tree, a data service provided by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Bronxville has a tree canopy of 45.11% over 278 acres. For a forested state such as New York, American Forests suggests that between 40-60% canopy is possible and desirable. Bronxville is on the low end of that range.  According to other sources, Westchester County has a tree canopy of 55%, much of that found in the less populated northern section of the county. 

Why are we losing tree canopy?

*More intense storms, new tree diseases, and homeowner preference are taking out trees; often, lost trees are not replaced.

*Summer drought made worse by climate change places additional stress on trees, which can weaken them and bring premature death.

*Invasive vines often weaken and can even topple large trees, which makes it important to remove English ivy and other vines growing on your trees.

*Some homeowners remove trees to make their yards sunnier, but as we experience increasing numbers of very hot days, shade becomes more essential in helping plants and animals survive.

*Increasingly, homeowners replace large trees with small ornamental trees, without realizing that they don’t offer the same shade and other environmental benefits that large, mature canopy trees provide.

What are the negative impacts of canopy loss?

*We lose all the ecological benefits that trees provide, including cleaner air; reduced flooding; less erosion; larger numbers of beneficial bugs, birds and pollinators; reduced costs for heating and cooling; and improved physical and mental well-being.

*Bronxville will get hotter. Tree cover is the main driver of surface temperature. An area with 50% tree cover is roughly 10 degrees cooler in the summer than an area with only 25% tree cover.  Built-up areas such as Bronxville can be 7.8-8 degrees hotter than a healthy forest.

*Property values may decline.  Research has shown that trees raise property values.  A common characteristic of wealthy communities is their abundant tree canopy.  

The solution? Plant trees!

The Village trustees have set a goal of planting 100 new trees by December 2026.

*Do you have space for a tree in the right-of-way near the street in front of your home? Join the Village Right-of-Way Tree-Planting Program and the Village will cover 50% of the cost (up to $3000), assist you with tree selection, and arrange to have the tree planted by professionals.  Learn more and apply HERE.

*There’s probably room in your yard for a small, new tree which over the next 75 years will become a large tree.

*When you plant a tree, please register it in Bronxville’s Year of the Tree registry so it will count toward our goal of planting 100 trees.

*Consider making a personal commitment to replace lost trees on your property; encourage your co-op board to add new trees to the budget.

*When choosing a tree, consider a keystone species such as an oak or a less common native tree species selected from this curated list.

*Keep in mind that trees with larger leaves provide more shade; you might, for example, choose a native linden over a honey locust.

*Trees play an essential role in controlling flooding by slowing rainfall from reaching the ground and directing it into the soil—NOT into our overburdened storm sewer system.  By planting a new tree and caring for your existing trees, you are helping to make Bronxville more resilient to increasingly powerful storms that release a large volume of rainwater in a short period.

*Some residents are reluctant to plant a tree that will grow 75-100 feet tall, out of fears that it will fall on their property or otherwise cause havoc.  Yet it is precisely such large canopy trees that offer the full benefits of trees and have characterized Bronxville from the beginning. Such trees grow so slowly, it’s the next generation that will most enjoy them—and deal with potential risks.  It takes one hundred years for a large canopy tree such as a Red oak or Scarlet maple to reach its full maturity.  To maintain our tree canopy, we must plant them now.

Thank you for caring for Bronxville’s Trees!

Our community appreciates the time and expense that many homeowners and co-op boards devote to maintaining and preserving the trees on their property. Please keep up the good work.  Together, we can reach our goal of planting 100 trees!

About the Bronxville Historical Conservancy and the Bronxville Green Committee

Inspired by the highly successful Bronxville Centennial Celebration in 1998, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded to record and preserve Bronxville’s history and life in the village today.

The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. We work to propose and implement environmentally sustainable programs in our community. Visit our website and follow us on Instagram @bxvgreencommittee to learn more.