Madison Celebrates 100,000 Street Trees

For Immediate Release 
May 15, 2025 

Today, the City of Madison reached an important milestone. There are now 100,000 trees lining the city’s streets and roadways. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Ald. Mike Verveer, and City Forester Ian Brown celebrated this achievement, alongside forestry staff, by planting a New Horizon elm in a downtown terrace.   

“Trees are fantastic for our city. They mitigate heat islands. There is good data that trees improve our mental health. They improve our air quality. Trees absorb stormwater. And there is even evidence trees increase property values,” said Mayor Rhodes-Conway. “I’m very excited about the work we are doing to grow our urban canopy” 

Madison’s 100,000 street trees are in addition to the thousands of trees in city parks, stormwater greenway land, and in the lawns of Madison residents.  

“I’m thrilled Madison’s 100,000th street tree was planted downtown,” says Ald. Mike Verveer. “I appreciate our city employees who care and plant for these important community assets. They do great work.” 

At the event, Mayor Rhodes-Conway highlighted the 2024 executive order signed by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. This action commits Wisconsin to planting 100 million trees by 2030 as part of the global Trillion Tree Pledge. This includes planting one million trees in urban areas like Madison. 

“I’m thankful to the folks in Streets and Urban Forestry who are helping us meet that goal and for making our community a better place by planting even more trees,” said Mayor Rhodes-Conway.  

In 2024, 90 percent of the trees planted by Urban Forestry were large canopy species. For the past five years, Madison has planted 1,000 more trees annually than were removed. Additionally, the City of Madison has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for 35 years and has received the foundation’s Growth Award for 19 years. 

Forester Brown says trees are a living bridge between the past and the present. 

“Urban trees are valued by residents.  Many of these trees exist because of the dedication and foresight of previous generations to plant, maintain, protect, and support the exact trees we treasure,” said Brown. “It’s a privilege to continue this legacy and we really appreciate the support from the Mayor, the Council, and our residents.  

A New Horizon elm was selected to mark the milestone achievement of the City’s Urban Forestry Division, and the resilience of our city’s shared urban canopy. The tree is a hybrid species developed by Professor Eugene B. Smalley of the University of Wisconsin-Madison designed to be resistant to Dutch elm disease. You can visit the New Horizon elm planted today at the corner of West Washington Avenue and North Henry.