Is a serviceberry a good tree to plant in Indiana? (Fortville, Indiana)

Is a serviceberry a good tree to plant in Indiana?

February 27, 2023: an EF-1 touched down about three miles south-southeast of McCordsville and tracked northeast toward Fortville with 110 mph winds, snapping numerous trees, sliding a working historic barn off its foundation and blowing over a semi at SR 234 and North Fortville Pike ($200,000 in damage). June 23, 2019: dispatch reported numerous trees and power lines down across Fortville. February 28, 2011: a downburst put trees, limbs and lines down on SR 67. The June 29, 2023 central Indiana derecho also crossed the county, with a measured 60 mph gust at 1 SW Greenfield. Serviceberry holds up better than most under it. Removing a serviceberry around Fortville runs roughly $100–$700, and in Mt. Vernon North, Beyers Estates and Manship Estates access is usually what decides where in that range you land.

What's actually growing in Fortville

The most concrete local evidence is the town's own prohibited-species list (Ch. 95.22, adopted 2002), which bars silver maple, box elder, cottonwood, all willows, all elms, mulberry, Lombardy poplar, tree of heaven, black walnut, black locust, paper and European white birch, southern catalpa, Bradford pear and ginkgo except seedless cultivars from any public street, alley or park planting. Mature shade trees line the old core, the north and east subdivisions carry five- to ten-year-old planted stock, and ash is effectively gone statewide from emerald ash borer.

Fortville's housing stock, and what it means for tree size

Fortville is two towns stacked on each other: a platted-1849 core between Main Street, Broadway and Memorial Park where the housing is late-1800s to early-1900s, and a new-construction ring north and east built on cropland since roughly 2015. Population went 3,929 (2010) to 4,784 (2020) and has kept climbing, so a large share of the roofs are under ten years old with nursery-stock trees to match.

What's specific to serviceberry

Serviceberry is one of the default small trees going into central Indiana front yards now that builders and municipalities are moving off Callery pear, so the volume of calls is rising with the planting volume. Almost none of them are hazard calls — they are about orange-spotted leaves in June and purple berry stain on the drive.

Hancock County rules

No permit is needed to remove a tree in your own yard. Fortville does, however, have a real tree code — Chapter 95, the "Town of Fortville Tree and Flora Ordinance" (Ord. 2002-7A) — and it is stricter than most towns this size. A permit is required to plant anything in the town right-of-way (95.18). Topping or severe trimming of public trees is forbidden (95.11). No arboricultural work may be done on a town tree without a special permit from the Tree Program Supervisor (95.19). A separate special permit is required before a builder destroys or significantly alters forest or woodland during subdivision, grading or construction (95.21). Illegal removal or damage carries fines of up to $1,000 per violation plus replacement billed at $100 per DBH inch (95.99). Section 95.10 places clearance duties over streets, alleys and sidewalks on the property owner; the specific heights should be confirmed with the town.

Is a serviceberry a good tree to plant in Indiana?

What's actually growing in Fortville

Fortville's housing stock, and what it means for tree size

What's specific to serviceberry

Hancock County rules

Crews near Fortville

Pro Finish Tree Care

Broken Oak Tree Service LLC

Witsken Tree Removal

JT Tree Service

IndyArborist.com Tree Service LLC

ASAP Tree and Crane Services

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