Overland Park among local cities trying for more tree diversity — Here’s why

More communities are pushing for a wide variety of trees to protect their canopies against disease and other risks. Photo credit Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3.

By Celia Llopis-Jepsen 

Each fall, as temperatures drop, people in Overland Park can count on head-turning displays of richly hued maple leaves.

But maples make up about one-third of the city’s street trees, and officials have learned the hard way that too much of a good thing can mean fragility.