Princeton names European hornbeam its November 2025 Tree of the Month

Taylor Sapuder, Princeton's municipal arborist, announced the European hornbeam as the municipality's Tree of the Month for November 2025, calling it a "really, really tolerant street tree." Sapuder said the species was selected for its upright structure and attractive fall color, which had recently dropped.

Sapuder said the specimen discussed is one of roughly 150 newly planted street trees installed this fall across Princeton. The arborist gave typical mature dimensions for European hornbeam as about 12 to 13 feet wide and 30 to 40 feet tall and said the species tolerates compacted soils and salt, making it suitable for street and urban planting.

"This is such a great tree for these street like conditions that can tolerate compacted soils, salt tolerant soils, high acidic, high basic soils," Sapuder said, noting the species' resilience. Sapuder identified Witherspoon Street — roughly the 170 to 190 blocks — and the Fieldwood community near Cherry Valley Road as locations where residents can see the plantings.

Earlier in 2025, Sapuder said, the municipality and the Shade Tree Commission published a recommended tree list that categorizes trees by size (small, medium and large) to help residents choose suitable species for planting. Sapuder directed residents to the municipality's urban forestry and Shade Tree Commission web pages for planting guidance and additional resources; the transcript recorded a garbled email address for direct contact and did not provide a clear, usable address.

The announcement is part of a continuing outreach effort: Sapuder said the Tree of the Month feature has run for about four and a half years. Residents interested in planting or learning more were advised to consult the municipal pages or contact municipal staff through the official Princeton website for the correct contact information.