Trees Not Recommended for Northern Illinois
- Callery Pear
- Not Recommended due to Invasiveness, Weak Wood, and Fungal Disease – Fire Blight
- Recommended Alternatives: American Sentry Linden, Spring Flurry Serviceberry, Upright European Hornbeam
- Colorado Spruce
- Not Recommended due to Fungal Diseases – Cytospora Canker & Rhizosphaera Needle Cast
- Recommended Alternatives: Norway Spruce, Paul’s Select Norway Spruce, Black Hills Spruce, Grafted Colorado Spruce like Fat Albert and Baby Blue Eyes Spruce are also resistant to the fungal diseases.
- Austrian Pine
- Not Recommended due to Pest Issues – Zimmerman Pine Moth & Diplodia Tip Blight
- Recommended Alternatives: White Pine, Lacebark Pine
- Scotch Pine
- Not Recommended due to Pest Issues – Zimmerman Pine Moth & Diplodia Tip Blight
- Recommended Alternatives: White Pine, Lacebark Pine
- Cypress
- Not Recommended due to lack of hardiness for Northern Illinois Winters
- Recommended Alternatives: Green Giant, Blue Arrow Juniper, Pyramidal Arborvitae
- Black Alder
- Not Recommended due to Invasiveness
- Recommended Alternatives: River Birch, Baldcypress
- Chinese Fringetree
- Not Recommended due to it being a host for insect issues – Emerald Ash Borer
- Recommended Alternatives: Japanese Tree Lilac
- Tree of Heaven
- Not Recommended due to Invasiveness
- Recommended Alternatives: Coffeetree (Male)
- Amur Maple
- Not Recommended due to Invasiveness
- Recommended Alternatives: American Hornbeam
- Norway Maple
- Not Recommended due to Invasiveness, Toxic Roots and Overly Dense Canopy
- Recommended Alternatives: Sugar Maple, Redpointe Maple
- Hawthorn
- Not Recommended due to Fungal Diseases- Rust
- Recommended Alternatives: Royal Raindrops Flowering Crab, Golden Raindrops Flowering Crab
