Northern Illinois Certified Arborists Dedicated To Healthy Landscapes
Arborist in Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Park, Palos Hills, Lemont, Homer Glen & Willow Springs. | Tree Service | Prairie Tree Care
Your connection to nature begins at home.
Prairie Tree Care Certified Arborists help homeowners, property managers, and developers across the southwest suburbs care for the woodland trees of properties bordering the Palos Forest Preserves.
Getting started is easy.
Call Us Today: 773-599-3335 or
Your Local Tree Care Experts: ISA Certified Arborist serving Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Park, Palos Hills, Lemont, Homer Glen & Willow Springs.
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's Southwest Suburbs
The southwest suburbs sit within and adjacent to one of the Chicago region's most significant natural areas — the Palos Forest Preserves and the Cal-Sag Channel corridor. This proximity to large tracts of native woodland means residential properties in Palos Park, Palos Heights, Willow Springs, and Lemont often border or contain remnant woodland ecosystems with mature native oaks, hickories, and understory species. Orland Park and Homer Glen, while more recently developed, have established significant residential canopy that requires professional management.
Prairie Tree Care provides ISA Certified Arborist services throughout the southwest suburbs, understanding both the arboricultural needs of landscape trees and the ecological context that makes tree care in this area distinct.
The Local Tree Care Difference
Prairie Tree Care provides full-service tree care across the southwest suburbs — tree removal, pruning, Plant Health Care, and woodland management. As ISA Certified Arborists, we understand the unique conditions of properties bordering the Palos Forest Preserves in Orland Park, Palos Park, Lemont, and Homer Glen.
John Powell
Owner-Prairie Tree Care
Certified Arborist IL-10149A, TRAQ, CTSP
Tree Challenges in the Southwest Suburbs
Forest Preserve Interface
Properties bordering the Palos Forest Preserves face unique pressures. Invasive species — particularly European buckthorn and glossy buckthorn — migrate from the preserves onto private property and aggressively compete with native trees and understory. Deer populations in the preserves browse heavily on young plantings. Mature oaks along the preserve edge are subject to oak wilt risk and require careful monitoring. Managing trees on these properties means working within an ecological context, not just an aesthetic one.
Orland Park Heritage Tree Ordinance
Orland Park maintains one of the more detailed tree preservation ordinances in the southwest suburbs. Heritage trees — defined as healthy trees 24 inches DBH or greater — require a removal permit, and fines of $200 per caliper inch are levied for unpermitted removal. Tree topping is prohibited on parkway, heritage, and conservation easement trees. No more than 25% of a tree's canopy can be removed in a single year. These regulations apply to both residential and commercial properties, and having a certified arborist guide you through the requirements is important for compliance.
Limestone Bedrock and Drainage
Parts of Lemont, Palos Park, and Willow Springs sit on shallow dolomite limestone bedrock, creating thin, alkaline soils with poor water retention in dry periods and perched water tables during wet seasons. Trees growing in these conditions develop shallow root systems that are more vulnerable to drought stress, wind throw, and freeze-thaw heaving. Species selection and soil management must account for these unusual subsurface conditions — which are very different from the deep clay soils found just a few miles east in Orland Park.
Development in Homer Glen and Orland Park
Active residential development continues in Homer Glen, southern Orland Park, and surrounding areas. Construction on previously agricultural or semi-rural land often encounters existing tree rows, fence-line specimens, and isolated remnant oaks that homebuyers want to preserve. Pre-construction assessment is critical — not all existing trees are candidates for preservation, and setting realistic expectations early prevents disappointment and wasted money on trees that can't survive the construction impacts.
Our Services in the Southwest Suburbs
Tree Pruning
ANSI A300-compliant pruning for structure, health, risk reduction, and aesthetics. Custom pruning plans for each property.
Tree Removal
Safe removals for dead, hazardous, or construction-conflicting trees, with care to protect surrounding landscape and structures.
Plant Health Care
Customized treatment programs for pest management, disease control, and soil health. Annual PHC subscriptions available for proactive, ongoing care.
Tree Risk Assessment (TRAQ)
Formal risk assessments for residential and commercial properties, including trees adjacent to forest preserve boundaries.
Construction Consulting
Pre-construction tree surveys, preservation planning, TPZ installation, and construction monitoring for new development.
Tree Planting
Appropriate species selection for the variable soil conditions found across the southwest suburbs. Native species recommendations for properties near forest preserve areas.
Cabling and Bracing
Support systems for structurally compromised trees worth preserving.
Air Spade Services
Root zone diagnostics and remediation, especially valuable for trees on shallow limestone soils.
Emergency Services
Storm damage response and hazardous tree management.
Call 773-599-3335 | Request a Consultation Online
Frequently Asked Questions — Southwest Suburbs
Our property in Palos Park backs up to the forest preserves and buckthorn is taking over. What can we do?
Buckthorn management on private property is the homeowner's responsibility, and it's a battle worth fighting. Left unchecked, buckthorn shades out native wildflowers and tree seedlings, and creates conditions favoring soybean aphid (an agricultural pest) and crown rust (which affects oat crops). Effective management involves cut-stump treatment with herbicide (cutting alone causes aggressive resprouting), targeted foliar treatment for seedlings, and follow-up monitoring for at least 2-3 years. We can develop a phased management plan that fits your budget and timeline, and recommend native species to plant in cleared areas to prevent re-invasion.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my property in Orland Park?
If the tree is healthy and 24 inches DBH or greater (measured 4 feet from the ground), it's classified as a heritage tree under Orland Park's ordinance and requires a removal permit. Removing a heritage tree without a permit results in fines of $200 per caliper inch. Trees that are dead, dying, or documented as hazardous by a certified arborist are typically exempt, but you should still coordinate with the village. Trees in conservation easements and trees on properties with approved landscape plans also have specific removal requirements. We handle the permit assessment and documentation as part of our service.
We have several large oaks that look healthy but we're worried about oak wilt. How can we protect them?
The most important protective step is avoiding oak pruning during the high-risk transmission period (roughly April through July in our area), when the Nitidulid beetles that carry the oak wilt fungus are most active. If pruning is necessary during this period (storm damage, for example), paint the pruning wounds immediately — this is one of the few situations where wound sealant is actually recommended. Beyond pruning timing, maintain overall tree health through proper mulching, watering during drought, and avoiding root zone disturbance. Regular professional inspection helps catch early symptoms — wilting and browning of leaves progressing from the margins, progressing rapidly through the crown in red oak group species.
What trees do best on the shallow limestone soils in parts of Lemont and Palos Park?
Species adapted to thin, alkaline soils over bedrock include bur oak (the ultimate survivor in our region), chinkapin oak, hackberry, Kentucky coffeetree, eastern redcedar, and hop hornbeam. Avoid species that demand deep, acidic soils — pin oak, red maple, and sweet gum will struggle chronically. If you're replacing a declining tree on these soils, the species choice is as important as the planting technique.
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 Chicago. ISA Certified Arborist IL-10149A | TRAQ | CTSP | TCIA Member | Illinois Arborist Association Member | Licensed & Fully Insured
