Metria Projects on Species Trials and Cultivar Testing

Abstract

The Metropolitan Tree Improvement Alliance (METRIA), an informal association of nurserymen, municipal and highway arborists, landscape planners, tree breeders and others interested in growing trees in urban areas, has initiated two projects aimed at gathering information about the suitability and urban hardiness of trees planted in urban areas. The "Species Trials Project" is aimed at stimulating trials of little-used species that show promise for wider use in urban plantings. The second project, a "Cultivar Testing Project," is directed toward collecting and analyzing information regarding the performance of cultivars currently available for planting in urban areas. This paper describes the evolution of these two projects and the cooperative efforts that are needed.