Village of Greenfield, OH

Workers from Cundiff's Tree Care are shown as they prepare to plant two European hornbeam trees along N. Washington St. in Greenfield on October 27.


Four maple trees were added to the Greenfield business district on October 27, 2021. The Greenfield Tree Commission has planted 30 trees downtown over the past eight years, gradually replacing trees that had died or been removed for various reasons. 


While the Facade Improvement Program in Greenfield has generated a lot of buzz with nearly a half million dollars in grant money awarded to improving the business district, an ongoing effort by the Greenfield Tree Commission is also generating some loveGreenfield Tree Commission is also generating some love with the October 27 planting of six new trees downtown.

“Thanks to a $2,000 donation by Grow Greater Greenfield (G3) and some other private donations, we have been able to add six new trees to the business district landscape and we continue efforts to fill the empty tree pits,” Tree Commission Chairman Ron Coffey reported.

The Tree Commission was founded in 2012 thanks to efforts by then-City Manager Betty Bishop and the Greenfield Village Council. By then, some older trees planted downtown in the 1980s were getting too big and others were dying from natural causes. Little by little, mostly through donations, the Tree Commission was able to purchase a tree or two, or five or 10, and gradually fill in many of the empty tree pits around the business district.

“In 2021 we were able to plant six new trees, including two European hornbeams along the west side of N. Washington St. and four maples on Jefferson St. east of Washington St.,” Coffey said. “Since replanting began in 2014 we have now replaced 30 trees in the business district, and a planted a few more at other locations.”

Coffey expressed his thanks to the donors who helped make the latest planting possible, and to Cundiff Tree Care for supplying and planting the trees.

It is hoped that more good news about trees can be announced in the near future. A grant application was filed that, if approved, would help finance the planting of a dozen trees at the Greenfield Cemetery. “We are hoping to plant Japanese tree lilacs near the entrance to the cemetery,” Coffey said. “These trees should complement the landscape quite well, and one of the things we like about them is that they should be in bloom around Memorial Day each year when many people gather at the cemetery.”

Plans are also being developed to remove at least 20 dead and dying trees from the cemetery and eventually replace them with diverse species recommended by urban foresters. Other existing trees will be pruned to maximize their health and beauty, and some invasive species including the inappropriately named “Tree-of-Heaven” will be eradicated at both the Greenfield Cemetery and the Old Burial Ground near Paint Creek.

Eventually a master plan will be developed for the planting of trees at other locations in the cemetery, and a Memorial Tree program will be developed to enhance the beautiful walking park known as the Greenfield Cemetery.

“We are grateful to the Greenfield administration and council for their support, and also to the donors who have supported this program through the years,” Coffey said. Anyone who wishes to donate towards the planting of trees in Greenfield can do so by making a check payable to The Greenfield Foundation and leaving it at the Community Savings Bank in Greenfield. In the memo line of the check, please indicate “Trees” so the money will be allocated for tree-related expenses. Checks can also be mailed to the Greenfield Foundation at P.O. Box 210, Greenfield, OH 45123.