Aiken Streetscapes

"For over 125 Years Aiken has been renowned for its dedication and preservation of our glorious parks, magnificent trees and beautiful parkways. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve, for future generations, what has been given to us”.

The Origins of Tree City, USA

Parkways

10,933 Trees on City Parkways, Summary

In the fall of 2017, Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees along the Parkways in the City of Aiken. We identified 10,933 trees which included 375 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.

Tree Risk Assessments and Mitigation

Perform the recommended tree risk mitigation activities for the 683 trees ( 6%) which we found defects or concerns that prompted the need to use the International Society of Arboriculture’ s ( ISA) risk matrices in the field. Risk mitigation activities will comply with current ANSI A300 standard practices.

Soil Sampling

Taking soil samples throughout planting beds and actively managed areas. Soil analysis provides information on the presence of soil nutrients, pH, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity.

Parcels

7,837 Trees on City owned Parcels, Summary

In the fall of 2017, the Bartlett Inventory Solutions ( BIS) Team from Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees on City-owned Parcels in the City of Aiken, SC. We identified 7,837 trees, including 3 groupings, which included 204 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.

Tree Risk Assessments and Mitigation

Perform the recommended tree risk mitigation activities for the 244 trees (3%) which we found defects or concerns that prompted the need to use the International Society of Arboriculture’ s (ISA) risk matrices in the field. Risk mitigation activities will comply with current ANSI A300 standard practices.

How South Boundary got its live oaks. This conversation in 1904 between Mr. Henry Dibble and Mayor Julian Salley recorded in Blackberries in the Summer 2014 by Don Bozeman, illustrates the impetus for the live oaks being planted on South Boundary Ave. “You know that I drive into Aiken every morning down South Boundary with all its beautiful homes. Well I was thinking how nice it would be if we could plant trees on either side of that boulevard from the city limits down to Whisky Rd. Most of those parcels were reclaimed from open farmland, and there are not a lot of trees along here. What do you think?” I think it is a great idea Mr. Dibble and I may be able to help you. Just the other day I discovered some money left over from another parkways tree planting project. The City used most of the money. We planted over 500 trees in the medians of the parkways. If you can come up with matching funds, I’ll try to get the council to allocate that money, and I’ll see if we can get the work done by the city streets department. Mr. Dibble agreed and today we have the stunning corridor of live oaks as a result.

Rights of Way

4, 246 Trees in the Rights of Way, Summary

In the fall of 2017, Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees along selected Rights-of-way in the City of Aiken. We identified 4,246 trees which included 94 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.

Tree Risk Assessments and Mitigation

Perform the recommended tree risk mitigation activities for the 230 trees ( 5%) which we found defects or concerns that prompted the need to use the International Society of Arboriculture’ s ( ISA) risk matrices in the field. Risk mitigation activities will comply with current ANSI A300 standard practices.

Soil Sampling

Taking soil samples throughout planting beds and actively managed areas. Soil analysis provides information on the presence of soil nutrients, pH, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity.

Bulk Density Sampling

Taking bulk density samples throughout planting beds and actively managed areas to determine the amount of soil compaction.

Soil Rx®

Apply Bartlett’ s Soil Rx® program to 185 trees ( 4%) to correct nutrient deficiencies and optimize soil conditions for the designated trees.

Arboretum

98 Trees on the Arboretum Trail, Summary

In the fall of 2017, Bartlett Tree Experts conducted an inventory of trees on the City of Aiken Arboretum Trail. Along the trail we identified 99 trees, including 1 grouping, which included 90 species. The attributes that we collected include tree latitude and longitude, size, age and condition class, and a visual assessment of tree structure, health, and vigor.

Understanding an urban forest’ s structure, function and value can promote management decisions that will improve human health and environmental quality. An assessment of the vegetation structure, function, and value of the Aiken, SC Arboretum Trail urban forest was conducted during 2018. Data from 98 trees located throughout Aiken, SC Arboretum Trail were analyzed using the i-Tree Eco model developed by the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station

Thirty years. Three thousand acres and counting. Working agricultural farms. Open spaces. Habitat protection. Public parks. Important historic properties. The Edisto River, Upper Shaws Creek, Horse Creek, Upper Three Runs Creek, Cedar Creek. Polo fields. Horse Farms.

The Aiken Land Conservancy is all about protecting the things you love about Aiken, the places that make Aiken a special place to live, work, raise a family, start a business, and spend the winter.

Over the last thirty years, the city and the county have grown and developed to attract new businesses, increase employment, provide better education for its citizens, and ensure proper housing opportunities—all worthy goals for your municipal and county government. But with that growth and development comes greater, more sophisticated challenges, like protecting our sources of clean water, our parkways and grand trees, and our historic, iconic vistas like South Boundary Avenue.

The Aiken Land Conservancy

Not just a land conservation organization any longer

Moreover, the Land Conservancy is exploring ways to work with the City and the Hitchcock Woods—the largest privately-managed urban forest in the country—to convert strategic, selected parkways into more efficient collectors and absorbers of unmanaged stormwater runoff that will protect water quality and deter damaging erosion from stormwater in the Woods.

As the goals have become more sophisticated and more complex, the Aiken Land Conservancy has grown and developed to meet those challenges. ALC is has been nationally accredited by the Land Trust Alliance, which requires those conservation organizations that bear its gold standard seal of approval to operate in accordance with the highest organizational and financial standards. Moreover, ALC’s board and advisory council is populated with folks of diverse experience and love and commitment to this very special place we call home.

Read More

Map of Aiken's Grand Trees

View larger map

Uncategorized

The Willcox’s Spring Newsletter

Aiken Streetscapes own Dacre Stoker sat down to about the importance of Aiken’s historic Streetscapes. Click HERE to watch the full interview. “The trailing limbs of a live oak, the bristling needles of an evergreen, the soft southern bloom of a magnolia—Aiken’s trees are a defining mark of our city, stretching far beyond Hitchcock Woods into our neighborhoods, parkways, and

March 31, 2025

No Comments

“Duty Towards Street Trees”

I hope these excerpts from an article in a book published back in 1912 would be of interest to people drawn to this website. Although much of what is mentioned in this article is still relevant today, we have made progress here in Aiken on the treatment of our trees thanks to concerned citizens, historical and conservation organizations and our

May 17, 2020

No Comments

Recent Articles

The Origin of Aiken Streetscapes

By William Parker Stoker

April 23, 2020

“For over 125 Years Aiken has been renowned for its dedication and preservation of our glorious parks, magnificent trees and beautiful parkways. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve, for future generations, what has been given to us”. Mission Statement, Aiken Streetscapes

Rob Johnston remembers riding his bike to school at St. Mary’s, shaded by the majestic live oak trees along South Boundary Avenue. Like many of Aiken’s sons, life led him away from his hometown for a while, but he never forgot the feeling of “just looking at all the wonderful trees and knowing that they were something special.” He also recalls, when he moved back to Aiken in 2006, “noticing that the grand trees from the 1950s and 1960s were dying because of old age or disease,” and knowing that something had to be done.

Bartlett Tree Report

In 2017 Aiken Streetscapes and The Aiken Land Conservancy funded The Bartlett Tree Survey and Management Plans for our Parkways, our City owned Parcels, our Rights of Way and our Arboretum Trail. This was a very significant step towards the long term protection of Aiken’s most valuable asset, our grand trees.

Partners

A special thanks to the following photographers for providing images on our website:
Tony Gouge

Todd Lista

Julia Smithing

Ginny Southworth

CONTACT US

AIKENSTREETSCAPES@GMAIL.COM

803-624-6003