Northern Illinois Certified Arborists Dedicated To Healthy Landscapes
ISA Certified Arborist | Tree Service In The City Of Chicago
Your connection to nature begins at home.
Prairie Tree Care Certified Arborists help Chicago homeowners, property managers, and developers care for the urban canopy that shades the city's neighborhoods, from Logan Square to Beverly.
Getting started is easy.
Call Us Today: 773-599-3335 or
Your Local Tree Care Experts: Serving Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Beverly, Hyde Park, Edgebrook, Forest Glen, Portage Park, Jefferson Park, and all Chicago Neighborhoods
Our Tree Care Services
Structural support systems that preserve mature trees worth saving.
ANSI A300-standard pruning that improves structure, reduces risk, and extends the life of your trees.
Targeted treatment programs for disease, insects, and soil health — built around your specific trees.
Safe, technically precise removal of dead, damaged, and hazardous trees throughout Chicagoland.
Fast response to storm damage and failed trees, when it can't wait.
Expert arborist opinions, documented and defensible.
Right tree, right place, installed correctly from the start.
Certified Arborist Services for Chicago Homeowners, Property Managers & Developers
Chicago's motto is "Urbs In Horto" — City in a Garden — and it's more than a saying on the flag. From the massive cottonwoods along the boulevards of Logan Square to the century-old oaks in Beverly and the newly planted trees lining Bloomingdale Trail, the city's urban forest is one of its most valuable and most overlooked assets. Prairie Tree Care provides ISA Certified Arborist services to homeowners, property managers, HOAs, and developers across Chicago, from our home base right here in Garfield Park.
We know Chicago's trees because we live among them. We see the same issues our clients face — limited growing space, construction stress, salt damage, compacted soils, and the particular challenges of maintaining trees in a dense urban environment.
John Powell
Owner-Prairie Tree Care
Certified Arborist IL-10149A, TRAQ, CTSP
The Local Tree Care Difference
Prairie Tree Care provides full-service tree care throughout Chicago — tree removal, structural pruning, Plant Health Care, and risk assessments. As ISA Certified Arborists based in the city, we bring credentialed expertise to the urban canopy of Chicago's neighborhoods.
Tree Challenges Unique to Chicago Properties
Restricted Root Zones and Compacted Soils
City trees grow in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Sidewalks, foundations, utility runs, and compacted fill soils restrict root growth to a fraction of what a tree needs. This chronic root zone stress is the underlying cause of most urban tree health problems we see — trees that leaf out thin, decline gradually, or fail unexpectedly in storms. Our air spade services allow us to excavate root zones without damage, diagnose buried problems like girdling roots and grade changes, and amend soils to improve long-term growing conditions.
Salt Damage
Winter de-icing salt is one of the biggest tree killers in Chicago. Salt spray damages buds and bark, and salt-laden melt water concentrates in root zones along streets and sidewalks. We see severe salt damage on honeylocusts, maples, and lindens along major arterials and residential side streets alike. Our PHC programs include spring soil flushing protocols and targeted treatments to help salt-stressed trees recover.
Parkway Tree Management
Many of the trees Chicagoans think of as "their" trees are actually parkway trees managed by the Chicago Bureau of Forestry. The city maintains jurisdiction over trees in the public right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb, and homeowners cannot remove or significantly prune these trees without city authorization. We help homeowners understand their options for parkway trees and provide care for the private trees on their property that complement the city's urban canopy.
Construction and Development
Chicago's ongoing residential and commercial development puts enormous pressure on existing trees. Foundation work, utility trenching, grade changes, and heavy equipment traffic can kill a tree's root system during construction — but the tree may not show visible decline for 2-3 years after the damage is done. We provide pre-construction tree inventories, root zone protection planning, and construction monitoring for residential renovations, new builds, and commercial developments throughout the city.
Common Pest and Disease Concerns
Chicago trees face bacterial leaf scorch in oaks and elms, emerald ash borer (though most untreated ash are now gone), Dutch elm disease in remaining American elms, Verticillium wilt in maples, and various canker diseases accelerated by urban stress. Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) was eradicated from Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood in 2008 after a multi-year quarantine, but vigilance remains important — early detection of invasive pests depends on regular professional inspection.
Neighborhoods We Serve
We provide arborist services across Chicago, with particular focus on neighborhoods within a reasonable radius of our Garfield Park base. We regularly work in the West Side (Garfield Park, Austin, Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village), the Northwest Side (Logan Square, Irving Park, Portage Park, Albany Park, Jefferson Park), the North Side (Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Ravenswood, Edgewater, Rogers Park), the Near West and South Loop (Pilsen, Bridgeport, Bronzeville), Beverly, Morgan Park, and Mount Greenwood on the South Side, and Hyde Park, Kenwood, and Woodlawn near the University of Chicago.
Our Services in Chicago
Tree Pruning
Structural pruning, crown cleaning, clearance pruning, and canopy management following ANSI A300 standards. Essential for maintaining safe clearance over sidewalks, alleys, garages, and structures on compact city lots
Tree Removal
Technical removals in tight urban spaces — between buildings, over garages, near power lines. We plan every removal carefully to protect your property, your neighbor's property, and the surrounding landscape.
Plant Health Care
Targeted pest and disease management, trunk injections, soil amendments, and root zone treatments tailored to the specific stresses of urban growing conditions.
Tree Risk Assessment (TRAQ)
Formal risk assessments for trees near structures, walkways, and gathering areas. Critical for property managers, HOAs, and homeowners concerned about liability and safety.
Construction Consulting
Pre-construction assessments, tree preservation plans, TPZ installation, and monitoring for residential renovations and commercial development projects.
Air Spade Services
Non-invasive root excavation for diagnosing decline in urban trees, correcting buried root collars, removing girdling roots, and decompacting restricted root zones.
Tree Planting
Right tree, right place — species selection based on available soil volume, overhead clearance, sun exposure, and salt tolerance. We source from local Illinois nurseries for climate-adapted stock.
Emergency Tree Services
24-hour response for storm damage, fallen trees, and hazardous situations. We prioritize safety and rapid property access restoration.
Commercial and Property Management Services
Comprehensive tree management for apartment buildings, condominiums, HOAs, retail properties, and institutional campuses. Includes annual inspection programs, scheduled maintenance, and detailed documentation for your records.
Frequently Asked Questions — Chicago Tree Care
Can I remove a tree in the parkway in front of my house?
No — parkway trees are under the jurisdiction of the Chicago Bureau of Forestry. If a parkway tree is dead, hazardous, or causing infrastructure problems, you can contact 311 to request a city forestry inspection. The city will determine whether the tree should be removed, and they handle the work. What you can do is care for the private trees on your property and request that the city plant a replacement if a parkway tree is removed. We focus on the trees within your property lines, where you have full control over their care and management.
I just bought a house in Logan Square and the previous owner neglected the trees. Where do I start?
Start with a professional assessment. We'll walk your property, evaluate each tree's health and structural condition, identify any immediate safety concerns, and develop a prioritized care plan. Not everything needs to happen at once — we'll help you triage: address safety issues first, then health treatments, then aesthetic pruning over time. Many of the mature trees in Logan Square's residential blocks are incredibly valuable specimens that respond well to proper care after years of neglect.
My neighbor's tree is dropping branches into my yard. What are my rights?
In Illinois, you generally have the right to trim branches and roots that cross your property line, but only up to the property line. You cannot enter your neighbor's property to do the work, and you cannot damage or kill their tree in the process. If you believe a neighbor's tree is hazardous, the best approach is to have a certified arborist provide a written assessment documenting the risk — this creates a formal record that protects both parties. We can provide this documentation and, with your neighbor's agreement, develop a plan that addresses the situation properly.
How do I know if my tree is healthy or dying?
Warning signs include dead branches in the upper canopy (visible as bare limbs when surrounding trees are fully leafed), mushrooms or fungal conks growing on the trunk or at the base, bark peeling away or falling off, a noticeable lean that has developed recently, cracks in the trunk, and leaves that are consistently small, sparse, or discolored compared to similar nearby trees. Some of these symptoms are minor and treatable; others indicate serious structural or health problems. A professional assessment takes 20-30 minutes per tree and gives you clear information about what you're dealing with.
Why Chicago Homeowners Choose Prairie Tree Care
In a city with dozens of tree services advertising on every platform, here's what makes us different: every job is assessed and overseen by an ISA Certified Arborist with TRAQ and CTSP qualifications. We don't just cut trees — we evaluate, plan, and manage them with the same rigor we'd apply to our own property. We're based right here in Chicago, we're locally owned, and we're building long-term relationships with the homeowners and property managers who value their urban canopy.
Call 773-599-3335 or request a consultation online to discuss your trees.
Prairie Tree Care is a locally owned tree care company based in Garfield Park, Chicago. ISA Certified Arborist IL-10149A | TRAQ | CTSP | TCIA Member | Illinois Arborist Association Member | Licensed & Fully Insured
